Determinants of pregnancy heartburn

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Abstract
Objective To study the prevalence and severity of reflux symptoms in pregnancy. Design Self‐administered questionnaire detailing age, race, gestational age, parity, weight, height, symptoms and severity of gastro‐oesophageal reflux. Setting An antenatal clinic in a teaching hospital. Subjects 607 consecutive women at various stages of pregnancy were recruited during attendance at antenatal clinic. Results The prevalence of heartburn increased with gestational age (22% in the first, 39% in the second, and 72% in the third trimester; PPPPPP<0.05) but not with body mass index before pregnancy, race, or weight gain in pregnancy. Conclusion Heartburn, but less so pharyngeal regurgitation, increases in prevalence and severity with gestational age and parity. We speculate that hormone‐related impairment of distal oesophageal clearance mechanisms may have a crucial bearing on whether heartburn develops in those individuals at greatest risk.