Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease and Pregnancy.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)/Willis-Ekbom disease is 3-fold more prevalent in pregnant than in non-pregnant women. Symptoms are particularly strong and frequent during the third trimester of pregnancy and disappear around delivery. A pre-existing form of RLS tends to worsen during pregnancy. Women who experience RLS during pregnancy have a higher risk of symptoms in further pregnancies and of developing a primary form of RLS later in life, than women free of symptoms during pregnancy. This article reviews the literature for pregnancy-related RLS, with particular attention to its epidemiology, course, possible mechanisms, management, and the impact of symptoms.
Sleep Center, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Civic Hospital of Lugano, Via Tesserete 46, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland.
Chiara
C
Prosperetti
Sleep Center, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Civic Hospital of Lugano, Via Tesserete 46, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland. Electronic address: mauro.manconi@eoc.ch.
Mauro
M
Manconi
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015995:Prevalence; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*
Pregnancy; Restless legs syndrome; Sleep; Willis-Ekbom disease