In plain words
Restless legs syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, is a strong urge to move the legs, usually with an unpleasant feeling inside the legs, such as crawling, , or pulling. Symptoms are worse when you sit or lie still, and they often come at night. In pregnancy, it is more common in the third trimester. An estimated 15 to 25 percent of pregnant women have it by then, compared with about 5 to 10 percent of adults outside pregnancy. It usually eases after birth. Sleep loss from restless legs can be hard on mood and energy. Clinicians often check iron levels as part of the workup. If one leg is swollen, painful, or red, call your provider the same day.
The deeper version
Restless legs syndrome is a sensorimotor disorder diagnosed clinically by the five essential International RLS Study Group criteria: an urge to move, usually with uncomfortable sensations; onset or worsening at rest; relief with movement; a pattern; and symptoms not explained by another condition (Allen and colleagues, 2014 revised consensus criteria). Prevalence in the third trimester is reported at 15 to 25 percent, versus 5 to 10 percent outside pregnancy. Its pathophysiology involves dopaminergic and iron pathways, and low is consistently associated with symptoms. Pregnancy-related RLS is generally considered to resolve postpartum, though some cases persist. The controversy concerns whether pregnancy RLS is driven mainly by iron status, hormones, or venous factors.
Where it comes up
- Exhaustion in the first trimesterPregnancy: Your Body
- Vivid dreams, mood swings, and crying at commercialsPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Can't sleep: pregnancy insomniaPregnancy: Your Body
- Sharing nights: shifts and systemsSupport, Home, and Village
- Supplements beyond the prenatal: what's worth asking aboutPregnancy: Eating
- Varicose veins and leg crampsPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about restless legs syndrome
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Sources
- Allen RP, Picchietti DL, Garcia-Borreguero D, et al. — Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease diagnostic criteria: updated International RLS Study Group consensus criteria. Sleep Medicine (2014)
- Allen RP, Walters AS, Montplaisir J, et al. — Restless legs syndrome prevalence and impact: REST general population study. Archives of Internal Medicine (2005)