Gastro-oesophageal reflux in pregnancy at term and after delivery.

Gastro-oesophageal reflux during a 40-minute reflux provocation test was assessed by lower oesophageal pH monitoring in 25 pregnant women at term, and again on about the second day after delivery. At term 17 women refluxed a total of 29 times; after delivery five women refluxed once each. There was a significant decrease in gastro-oesophageal reflux by the second day after delivery (p less than 0.05). Gastro-oesophageal reflux is, however, only one of the factors that predisposes to acid aspiration pneumonitis.