Prevalence and risk factors of the pregnancy rhinitis at Tikrit General Hospital, Tikrit City, Iraq

Background: Pregnancy rhinitis (PR) is a relatively common condition with a prevalence of 20%. We aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors of the PR. A prospective cohort study was conducted at the Obstetric and Gyenocology and Otolaryngology Departments in the Tikrit General Hospital, Tikrit City, Iraq. The study covered 12 months (September 2019-September 2020). Pregnant women were divided into two groups; with and without PR. Data regarding the age, body mass index (BMI), occupation, smoking, clinical features, parity, gestational age, and sex of the baby were recorded. Visual analog scale (VAS) and nasal-obstructive-symptom-evaluation (NOSE) scale were used for the evaluation of the nasal obstruction. Results: The prevalence of the PR was 11.65% (110/944 pregnant women). Rhinorrhea was the commonest associated feature with nasal obstruction of the PR (n = 48, 43.6%) . Ninety percent of the patients were in the age group < 35 years. The majority of the subjects were housewives (n = 551, 58.4%), in the second trimester (n = 456, 48.3%), and in the parity group 0-2 (n = 511, 54.1 %). The female baby was found in 56.5% of the patients (n = 533) . There were statistically significant differences between the two groups: women with and without PR regarding the BMI and gestational age (first trimester) (P value= 0.001). No history of current smoking was found in all women. Conclusion: The prevalence of PR was 11.65% and was mostly seen in the first trimester. High BMI and pregnant women in the first trimester were considered risk factors for the PR.