Question:medium

Which of the following is a respiratory effect of progesterone during pregnancy?

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Progesterone makes the respiratory centre more CO2-sensitive — the woman hyperventilates.
Updated On: Jun 25, 2026
  • Increased respiratory drive (hyperventilation)
  • Decreased tidal volume
  • Decreased arterial PO2
  • Increased arterial PCO2
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Think of progesterone as a respiratory stimulant. It sensitises the brainstem respiratory centre to carbon dioxide, so for any given PCO2 the woman breathes more. The clinical correlate is the well-known dyspnoea/hyperventilation of normal pregnancy.

Because the extra ventilation comes chiefly from bigger breaths, tidal volume climbs by about a third while respiratory rate barely changes. That eliminates the option claiming a fall in tidal volume.

Greater alveolar ventilation washes out CO2, so arterial PCO2 drops to the high-20s to low-30s mmHg, giving a chronic respiratory alkalosis that the kidney compensates by excreting bicarbonate. Therefore the options claiming a rise in PCO2 are wrong. Oxygenation stays normal or improves marginally, so a fall in PO2 is also incorrect.

$\uparrow \text{progesterone} \Rightarrow \uparrow \text{respiratory drive} \Rightarrow \uparrow V_T \Rightarrow \downarrow PaCO_2$

\[\boxed{\text{Increased respiratory drive (hyperventilation)}}\]
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