Abstract

Background: Pregnancy is a condition where various neuroendocrinal changes occur. During pregnancy there are drastic changes especially in steroid hormone levels e.g. Estrogen and progesterone. Recent studies have shown that auditory, visual and olfactory sensitivities of a female increase during pregnancy. This increase in sensitivity is due to increase in hormone levels during pregnancy.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare the taste sensitivity in pregnant and non-pregnant females.

Materials and Methods: The present study was done in 100 non-pregnant females and 300 pregnant females (100 females of each trimester) of age group 20-40yrs.13 solutions of different concentrations of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) were prepared and taste sensitivity was checked.

Result: Numbers of tasters are more in pregnant females as compared to non-pregnant females. There is significant increase in taste sensitivity in first trimester of pregnancy as compared to other trimesters.

Conclusion: We conclude that there is increased taste sensitivity in pregnant females as compared to non-pregnant females and significant rise is seen in first trimester of pregnancy.

Key words: Phenylthiocarbamide; Taste Sensitivity; Pregnant Females