Fatigue in pregnancy: A comparative study

The objective of this study was to use validated scales to determine if fatigue is increased during the first trimester of pregnancy compared to nonpregnant women with similar demographic characteristics. Women between 6 and 12 weeks' gestation were invited to complete a demographics questionnaire and the Numerical Rating Scale for Fatigue (NRS-F), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Beck Depression Index (BDI-II). Nonpregnant women were also invited to participate. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U, Fisher's exact, Spearman correlation, and Monte Carlo tests where appropriate; significance was assumed at p <0.05. Twenty pregnant and 15 nonpregnant patients were enrolled. There was no difference in age, parity, BMI, race, marital status, education, income or hours worked outside the home between pregnant and nonpregnant subjects. Pregnant women reported greater number of hours spent sleeping each day (8 [7-10] vs. 7 [6-9], p = 0.03). There was no significant difference in BDI-II, STAI-S, or STAI-T scores, but pregnant women had significantly higher scores on the NRS-F test (72.5 [20-88] vs. 36 [18-94], p <0.05). Women in the first trimester of pregnancy experience significantly greater fatigue compared to a similar group of nonpregnant women.