Table 1. Background characteristics of the study population.
| Characteristic | Alginate (n = 50) | Antacid (n = 50) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal age (years) | 29.0 ± 5.5 | 30.9 ± 5.4 | 0.095 |
| Gestational age when heartburn present (weeks) | 26.9 ± 8.0 | 23.6 ± 9.2 | 0.053 |
| Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m2) | 22.4 ± 4.7 | 21.9 ± 3.5 | 0.577 |
| Multiparous | 48 (96.0%) | 48 (96.0%) | 1.000 |
| Twin pregnancy | 1 (2.0%) | 1 (2.0%) | 1.000 |
| History of heartburn before pregnancy | 30 (60%) | 23 (46%) | 0.161 |
| Frequency of heartburn (times per weeks) | 13 (5, 20.2) | 12 (7, 21) | 0.649 |
| Intensity of heartburn (VAS scores) | 42.5 (31, 60) | 43.5 (28.8, 60) | 0.942 |
BMI: body mass index. VAS: visual analog scale. Data presented as mean ± standard deviation, median (interqurtile) or n (%).