[Headache, fatigue and edema of the lower limbs during the third trimester of normal pregnancy].

A series of 180 pregnant women with normal pregnancies participated in the study. A questionnaire concerning the presence of headache, fatigue and oedema of the lower limbs was filled out daily from the 30th gestational week to delivery. After the study period 120 questionnaires, of whom eight were excluded, were available for analysis. The weekly prevalences of headache and fatigue during the observation-period were nearly constant with values of 20% and 50%, respectively. The weekly prevalence of oedema increased significantly from 20% in the 31st week to 60% in the 42nd gestational week. Thirty-five percent had not suffered from headache, 22% did not report fatigue, and 42% did not describe oedema at all during the third trimester. The prevalence of headache and fatigue correlated significantly to increasing parity whereas headache was significantly correlated to decreasing age. Headache, fatigue, and oedema are common symptoms in the third trimester of normal pregnancy, and as such their presence alone should not usually give cause for suspicion of disease.