Introduction: During pregnancy, hormonal changes, primarily the effect of relaxin, cause the symphysis and pelvic joints to widen or loosen. Pregnancy-related pain that occurs in the sacroiliac and lumbosacral regions, the symphysis, or a combination of these joints is called pelvic gridle pain. Purpose: The purpeose of this thesis is to research the risk factors that influence the incidence of pelvic gridle pain during pregnancy and the role of the midwife in care of a women with pelvic gridle pain. Methods: In this thesis we used a descriptive method with a systematic review of professional and scientific literaure in both Slovenian and English language. We presented the search strategy usin a PRISMA diagram. We determined exclusion criteria based o which we selected sources for the literature review. Results: We included 12 sources in the literature review. We identified 14 codes and 3 categories: (1) Risk factors for the occurrence of PGP in pregnancy that can be influenced before pregnancy, (2) Risk factors for the occurrence of PGP in pregnancy, and (3) The role of the midwife in the management of a woman with PGP in pregnancy. Pain in the pelvis during pregnancy in caused by several factors, including body weight, pysical activity, hormonal changes and psychological aspects. Key risk factors include previous pain, pelvic injuries, low education level of women and job dissatisfaction. Physicall activities, maintain a normal body weight and promote a healthy lifestyle is crucial in pregnancy. The primary role of a midwife in caring for women is to provide support, information and encouragement to praticipate in exercise programs for pregnant women. Discussion and conclusion: The most common risk factor for pelvic gridle pain in pregnancy is prior pelvic gridle pain before and during pregnancy. Another importat risk factor is high body mass index and physical inactivity. Pelvic gridle pain is difficult to diagnose during pregnancy and it is often unrecogized and underestimated by healthcare professionals. Additional research and awareness of symptoms and risk factors among women and healthcare professionals are needed to prevent occurrence of problems.
|