Voice, airway, and swallowing disorders in pregnancy: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

A growing population of people of childbearing age seeks care from an otolaryngologist. This study aims to identify trends in the care of pregnant patients with laryngological disorders related to the voice, airway, and swallowing.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 18-50 at a single institution who had an ICD diagnosis of a disorder related to the voice, airway, or swallowing during pregnancy between 1 December 2014 and 1 December 2024.

RESULTS

One hundred and seventy-eight charts were included in the final analysis. Sinusitis was the most common condition, followed by acute upper respiratory infection (URI) and aphagia/dysphagia. Delaying surgical or medical treatment due to pregnancy was common, but loss to follow-up was a risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Sinusitis, acute URI, and aphagia/dysphagia were the most common voice, airway, and swallowing disorders identified. While treatment patterns vary, pregnancy represents a unique window for optimizing health, of these and other conditions.