Prevalence of diastasis recti in immediate post-partum women of urban and rural areas of Navsari region: A cross sectional study

Background: Pregnancy and becoming a mother is one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life. During this period, a woman undergoes a series of morphological and musculoskeletal changes, of which the main alteration is that of the abdominal musculature, in which the two muscle bellies of the rectus abdominis begins to stretch and lengthen due to growing foetus which results in stretching of the linea alba and causes separation of the rectus abdominis resulting in Diastasis rectus abdominis.Methods: A cross-sectional study among 110 immediate post-partum women. All subjects were screened on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Outcome measure of the study was Vernier caliper.Results: The prevalence of diastasis recti in the immediate post-partum women was examined using Vernier caliper. According to the measurement urban population had more DRA (75%) compared to that of rural population (64%). With higher rate among age group of 24-27 years (86%). Occupation wise, housewives exhibited higher prevalence of DRA (79%) in comparison with the labour workers. According to parity, multiparous women had more DRA (77%) to that of primiparous.Conclusion: This study indicates high prevalence of DRA in the immediate postpartum women of urban population according to measurement of Vernier caliper.