Understanding Stair Negotiation in Postpartum Women

Over 3.5 million births occur in the United States annually, and roughly 37% of postpartum women experience low back pain (LBP) 12 months following birth. LBP can reduce the ability to perform everyday tasks, increasing the difficulty for postpartum women to care for their child and perform daily activities. Stair negotiation is a functional task performed multiple times a day, yet this has never been investigated in postpartum women. Infant-carrying is very prevalent during the first 12 months following birth, which can impose asymmetrical loads on the body. Investigating stair negotiation in this population can provide information on factors that influence movement during daily tasks. Including conditions during stair negotiation, such as with vs without infant-carrying and in-arm carrying vs in a baby carrier, is necesary to understand realistic scenarios and how stair negotiation performance changes. This research is necessary to understand potential mechanisms of high LBP incidence in this population.