Prevalence and associated features of restless legs syndrome in a population of Iranian women during pregnancy.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) during pregnancy and to evaluate factors associated with RLS in a population of Iranian pregnant women. METHODS: In the present cross-sectional study, 443 consecutive pregnant women admitted for delivery underwent an interview within 2 days of parturition. The diagnosis of RLS was established by the 4 criteria of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG). The severity of RLS was assessed through the IRLSSG Rating Scale. RESULTS: Seventy-nine (17.8%) women met the RLS diagnostic criteria, with most (74.7%) having RLS of moderate severity. The mean RLS duration before delivery was 3.1 ± 2.1 months among 69 (87.3%) women; 10 (12.7%) had RLS onset before pregnancy. Sleep disturbances including insomnia and early awakening were significantly more common among women with RLS than among those without (P < 0.001), and the frequency of cesarean delivery was also significantly higher (58.2% versus 44.5%, P = 0.027; odds ratio 2.4). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of age, number of pregnancies, folate and iron supplementation, hemoglobin level, and neonatal anthropometric data. CONCLUSION: Restless legs syndrome is common during pregnancy and is associated with poor sleep and an increased risk of cesarean delivery.