Gastric emptying is delayed at 8–12 weeks' gestation

Gastric emptying was studied indirectly by paracetamol absorption in 20 patients at 87–12 weeks' gestation and also in 20 non-pregnant controls. Subjects received paracetamol 1.5 g in a tablet with 50 ml of water and remained semi-recumbent for 2 h while venous blood samples were obtained at 15-min intervals. The maximum concentration of paracetamol was significantly lower and the time to maximum concentration significantly greater in pregnant patients. In addition, the areas under the time-concentration curves at 60 and 120 min were significantly smaller in the pregnant group. These changes are indicative of a delay in gastric emptying at 8–12 weeks' gestation.