title: A prospective study of Willis-Ekbom disease/restless legs syndrome during and after pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Willis-Ekbom disease/restless legs syndrome (WED/RLS) is the most common sleep-related movement disorder in pregnancy. We designed a prospective longitudinal study to investigate the correlates of WED/RLS during and after pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 138 pregnant women with WED/RLS and a control group of 251 age-matched pregnant women were enrolled prospectively. A questionnaire was administered during a face-to-face interview at first evaluation during pregnancy and three months after delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among all women in the first trimester, 15.6% were diagnosed with WED/RLS, whereas 32.8% of those in the second trimester and 38.8% of those in the third trimester were diagnosed with WED/RLS (p = 0.032). In regression analysis, later gestational age [p < 0.001; odds ratio (OR) 1.054] and previous history of WED/RLS (p = 0.001; OR 2.795) were positively correlated with the presence of WED/RLS, while ferritin levels (p = 0.001; OR 0.956) were negatively correlated with the presence of WED/RLS. Ferritin levels were also negatively correlated with the International RLS Study Group severity index (p = 0.041). Forty-eight patients (34.8%) experienced WED/RLS symptomatology after delivery. The ferritin levels were lower, and the mean number of pregnancies was higher, in women with residual WED/RLS (p = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our survey showed that WED/RLS was more common in the second and third trimesters. Emergence of WED/RLS during the second trimester was strongly associated with residual WED/RLS. Lower ferritin levels were associated with both WED/RLS in pregnancy and residual WED/RLS after delivery. A higher number of pregnancies were also associated with a greater likelihood of having residual WED/RLS after delivery.
authors: Neurology Clinic, Gaziantep Dr Ersin Arslan State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors: Abdurrahman
authors: A
authors: Neyal
authors: Department of Neurology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: drgulcinbenbir@yahoo.com.
authors: Gulcin Benbir
authors: GB
authors: Senel
authors: Neurology Clinic, Gaziantep Dr Ersin Arslan State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors: Rahime
authors: R
authors: Aslan
authors: Department of Neurology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Mecbure
authors: M
authors: Nalbantoglu
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Serdar
authors: S
authors: Acikgoz
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Nevin
authors: N
authors: Yilmaz
authors: Department of Neurology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Feray Bolukbasi
authors: FB
authors: Tumay
authors: Neurology Clinic, Gaziantep Dr Ersin Arslan State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors: Munife
authors: M
authors: Neyal
authors: Department of Neurology, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Derya
authors: D
authors: Karadeniz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D020073:Gravidity; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins
keywords: Delivery; Ferritin levels; Pregnancy; Willis–Ekbom disease