Peripartum changes in gastric emptying

Applied potential tomography was used to measure changes in gastric emptying during the peripartum period. Gastric emptying was measured sequentially in each of 10 healthy patients at 37-40 weeks gestation, 2-3 days postpartum and after the 6-week postnatal assessment (control). Mean (SD) times to 50% emptying were 15 (6.05), 11 (5.9) and 15 (5.5) min, respectively. There was no statistically significant change in gastric emptying as a result of pregnancy in this group of women. Retrospective power analysis (assuming alpha = 0.05 and beta = 0.20) shows the study design was adequate to detect a difference of 8 min.