{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,6]],"date-time":"2026-07-06T06:15:07Z","timestamp":1783318507264,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,6]],"date-time":"2026-07-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783296000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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\u20138\u202fweeks postpartum.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Women who underwent caesarean section exhibited a higher prevalence of DRA (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.019) and wider inter-recti distance at the umbilicus and supra-umbilical levels compared to the vaginal delivery group with differences reaching statistical significance (all\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.010). The vaginal delivery group demonstrated significantly weaker fast-twitch pelvic floor muscle fibres (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.036). Furthermore, the caesarean section group reported significantly lower scores in the physical (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.017) and psychological (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.003) domains of quality of life. Multiple linear regression identified poor sleep quality and caesarean section, rather than the severity of DRA, as strong independent factors of reduced quality of life.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1845766","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,6]],"date-time":"2026-07-06T05:37:01Z","timestamp":1783316221000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Impact of delivery mode on diastasis recti abdominis, pelvic floor muscle function, and quality of life in early postpartum women: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Yilin","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wenqin","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhiliang","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luyao","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinyi","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lu","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Xia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Postpartum Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital","place":["Shanghai, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physio.2013.08.005","article-title":"Effects of exercise on diastasis of the rectus abdominis muscle in the antenatal and postnatal periods: a systematic 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