A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DYNAMIC RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS IN TERM PREGNANT WOMEN

In pregnancy, the enlarging uterus and the hormonal effects alter the lung volumes and capacities. Pulmonary function test is an important tool to assess the respiratory functions of an individual. Aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in dynamic respiratory functions in term pregnant women and to compare parameters of study group with that of control group. 30 adult female primi, in their third trimester pregnancy (36- 38 weeks) selected from the Department of Obstretics and Gynaecology, RSRM, Stanley Medical College Hospital were chosen after institutional ethical committee approval. PFT was performed using SPIROLAB II, in the sitting posture in the morning and compared with age matched controls chosen from the Master Health Check-up Clinic, Stanley Medical College Hospital. Data collected was analyzed statistically by unpaired student t test using SPSS version 15.0. Of the total 30 subjects in study group, the mean ages in years was 23.87 2.98 and mean BMI was 25.29 2.67 and that of control group the mean ages in years was 24.53 2.61 and mean BMI was 22.14 3.57. On comparing PFT parameters among study and control group we observed FVC (2.06 0.30), FEV1 (2.03 0.29), FEV1 FVC (0.98 0.02) of study group and that of control group FVC (2.10 0.46), FEV1 (2.08 0.46) and FEV1 FVC (0.99 0.02) there was no significant change. PEF (4.29 1.15) among study group when compared to that of control group PEF (5.23 1.28) was highly significant with P value 0.004. MVV (56.54 15.91) of study group when compared to that of control group MVV (73.02 27.01) was highly significant with P value 0.006. Thus pregnancy is characterized by sequence of dynamic physiological changes that impact on multiple organ system functions and is associated with various changes in pulmonary anatomy and physiology. Hence from this study we conclude that assessing pulmonary function test in third trimester pregnancy invariably shows us significant respiratory compromise.