Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42519793›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026

Impact of delivery mode on diastasis recti abdominis, pelvic floor muscle function, and quality of life in early postpartum women: a cross-sectional study.

Yilin Liu, Wenqin Huang, Zhiliang Zhang, Luyao Wang, Xinyi Wu, Lu Chen, Yan Xia

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Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Yilin LiuDepartment of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Wenqin HuangDepartment of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Zhiliang ZhangDepartment of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Luyao WangDepartment of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Xinyi WuDepartment of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Lu ChenDepartment of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Yan XiaDepartment of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The early postpartum period is critical for maternal recovery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of delivery mode on diastasis recti abdominis (DRA), pelvic floor muscle strength, sleep quality, and overall quality of life at 6-8 weeks postpartum. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 primiparous postpartum women, including 100 vaginal deliveries and 96 caesarean sections. DRA severity was assessed by measuring the inter-recti distance using clinical palpation and high-frequency ultrasound. Pelvic floor muscle strength was evaluated using a perineometer. Sleep quality and quality of life were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, respectively. Results: Women who underwent caesarean section exhibited a higher prevalence of DRA ( Conclusion: Delivery mode is associated with distinct postpartum recovery trajectories. Caesarean section is associated with more severe DRA and poorer early postpartum quality of life, whereas vaginal delivery is specifically associated with weaker fast-twitch pelvic floor muscles. Sleep quality is a primary determinant of maternal wellbeing, highlighting the need for delivery-mode-tailored, multidisciplinary postpartum rehabilitation with sleep support as an integral component of care.

Indexed as

caesarean sectiondiastasis recti abdominispelvic floorpostpartum periodquality of lifesleep

Identifiers

PMID42519793
PMCPMC13381517

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.