Alterations in Smell During Pregnancy: Myth or Fact?

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Neuroscience
• Physiology

Background:

• Olfactory function can be influenced by physiological changes.
• Pregnancy involves significant hormonal and physiological shifts that may impact sensory perception.
• Understanding olfactory changes during pregnancy is crucial for maternal health and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare olfactory functions between pregnant and non-pregnant females.
• To assess odor identification (OI), odor discrimination (OD), and odor threshold (OT) in both groups.
• To investigate subjective olfactory perception related to beverages and floral fragrances.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 60 pregnant females (Group A) and 60 non-pregnant females (Group B).
• Participants were matched for age and normal mucociliary clearance.
• The Modified Indian Smell Identification Kit was used for objective olfactory assessment, alongside a subjective questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Subjective assessment revealed significant impairment in the perception of drinking beverages and floral fragrances in pregnant females.
• Objective olfactory testing showed no significant difference in mean scores for odor identification, discrimination, or threshold between pregnant and non-pregnant women.
• No significant difference was observed in olfactory parameters between multigravida and non-pregnant females.

Conclusions:

• While objective olfactory tests showed no significant differences, pregnant women reported a subjective impairment in perceiving certain smells.
• Pregnancy-related olfactory changes may be more pronounced in subjective perception than in objective olfactory function.
• Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms behind subjective olfactory alterations during pregnancy.