If you are new to the world of diastasis recti, I’m sure you have lots of questions about it. One of those questions might be, “Who can develop diastasis recti?” We will answer this question in this article. You may be surprised about the answer! Ready to learn who can develop diastasis recti and what the risk factors are for developing it? Let’s get to it!
Pregnancy Women
Pregnancy poses a huge risk for developing diastasis recti due to the large amount of pressure placed on the abdominal wall. Actually, did you know that 100% of women develop diastasis recti during pregnancy? Additionally, up to 60% of those women still have abdominal separation (diastasis recti) after pregnancy? These facts are according to Dr. Casey and physical therapist Anna Ribaudo in Hospital for Special Surgery’s (HSS) article, “Diastasis Recti: What is it and how to fix it” published in 2023.
This may cause you some anxiety if you are a mother or are planning to become one. The good news is that you don’t have to live with a torn apart abdominal! There are ways to heal and bring your muscles back together.
To learn more about this, check out my article Best Corrective Exercises For Diastasis Recti.
Newborns
Some newborns are born with diastasis recti. The abdominal muscles simply did not come together all the way in utero. This is evidenced by seeing a slight bulging of the stomach while the infant is straining or crying. DR in infants can also be evidenced by an ambilocal hernia.
The good news is that most ambilocal hernias in infants self-correct by ages 2-4. Be sure to talk to your child’s pediatrician if you have any concerns regarding your child’s belly button or abdominal muscles.
Overweight Individuals
People who are overweight can also develop DR. Just like pregnancy puts a large amount of pressure on the abdominal wall, so can excess fat. This can occur in men and women.
If you have any health concerns regarding your body, be sure to talk to your primary care doctor for more help and guidance!
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Risk Factors
Risk factors are anything that put you at risk for developing a certain health-related issue. What are the risk factors for developing diastasis recti? Some of what we have discussed in this article are:
- Pregnancy
- Being overweight
- Being born with DR
Additional risk factors include:
- Exercising with poor form
- Lifting or straining too hard or improperly
Summary
It would be safe to say that anyone can develop diastasis recti. Young, old, men, women, infants and children can all have or develop diastasis recti! Be sure to exercise and lift heavy objects with appropriate form to prevent developing DR.
Again, if you are concerned about your DR or your child or loved one having DR, be sure to reach out to their primary care doctor who can help give you more help!
Want To Learn More?
If you enjoyed this article Who Can Develop Diastasis Recti and you would like to learn more about diastasis recti, be sure to check out these related articles below!
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