Dynamic Lung Functions during Pregnancy: Comparative Study in Lower Socioeconomic Rural Females of Vadodara City, Gujarat

Abstract

CONTEXT: Paucity in data of the dynamic respiratory functions during pregnancy is encountered and discrepancies are there in the data available. AIM: Present study was taken up to examine the maternal dynamic airway functions, inspiratory and expiratory both extensively in normal pregnancy in rural females. SETTING & DESIGN: Cross sectional comparative study was conducted after ethical approval in the department of Physiology in collaboration with department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, SBKS MIRC, SVDU. METHOD AND MATERIALS: Incidental and random selection led 400 females in two groups, pregnant (N=300) and nonpregnant (N=100). Expiratory and Inspiratory lung functions were studied in 300 pregnant females in three different trimesters of pregnancy, 100 studied in each group and compared with 100 nonpregnant matched control. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Student’s unpaired Student’s t-test was used for between group variations and ANOVA was applied to find out the level of significance for the variation among three trimesters. RESULTS: The airway functions, small and large both have shown no significant change though a little higher value in some parameters has been noted during pregnancy. Large airways functions as FEV1%, PEFR, FEF 0.2-12 and FEF25% are preserved in pregnant group. Small airway functions as FEF25-75%, FEF75-85%, Vmax50% and Vmax75% get altered during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy is a complicated and adaptive phase in terms of respiratory parameters. The maternal respiration may be compromised in the presence of smaller airway diseases. Thus, the pregnant women with respiratory diseases pose a special challenge.