Predictors of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in pregnant women screened for sleep disordered breathing: a secondary analysis

Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine and the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology Consensus Guideline on the Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy

The Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine and the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology tasked an expert group to review existing evidence and to generate recommendations on the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea during pregnancy. These recommendations are based on a systematic review of the available scientific evidence and expert opinion when scientific evidence is lacking. This guideline may not be appropriate for all clinical situations and patients, and physicians must decide whether these recommendations are appropriate for their patients on an individual basis. We recognize that not all pregnant people may identify as women. However, data on non-cisgendered pregnant patients are lacking, and many published studies use gender-binary terms; therefore, depending on the study referenced, we may refer to pregnant individuals as women. This guideline may inform the creation of clinical protocols by individual institutions that consider the unique considerations of their patient populations and the available resources.

Sleep disorders in pregnancy

Sleep disturbances are common in pregnancy and affect sleep quality. The maternal body is going through constant physical and physiological changes to adapt to the growing fetus. Sleep disorders may manifest at any point during pregnancy; some may result in adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. A strong clinical suspicion is crucial to identify sleep disorders in pregnancy and their management should be evaluated with a multidisciplinary team approach. In this review, we provide an overview of changes in sleep during pregnancy and summarise the key features of common sleep disorders in pregnancy, including practical tips on their management.

Educational aims

To provide an overview of common sleep disorders in pregnancy and their management options.To highlight the impact of the physiological changes in pregnancy on sleep.To outline the type of sleep studies available to investigate sleep disorders in pregnancy.

Sleep Disorders During Pregnancy and Postpartum: A Systematic Review

This study aimed to asses previous research results about bio-physiological alterations during pregnancy and postpartum, and make clear outlook about prevalence and related factors of sleep disorders during pregnancy and postpartum. In this review, the articles that published from 2000 to 2019 were reviewed. Related articles were searched from databases in English language. After evaluation of inclusion and exclusion criteria, articles were chosen and reviewed based on the University of York strategies. Sleep disorders in present study were classified according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders-3. The search revealed 4449 articles, after evaluating and assessing qualified articles, finally 56 article selected to review. According to the results of this review, The prevalence of sleep disorders was almost 76%–97% in whole pregnancy. The most common sleep disorders included central disorders of hyper somnolence (waking up in the middle of the night, daytime sleepiness, sleeplessness) or insomnia, sleep-related movement disorders (restless legs syndrome), sleep related breathing disorders (obstructive sleep apnea), and parasomnia. In addition, sleep disorder may continue 3–12 months postpartum (33.2%). Sleep disorders induced by physiological processes (fetal movement, excessive weight gain, male sex of the fetus, and multiparty), health-related risks (metabolism disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and mood disorders), and physical or sexual abuse in childhood. In addition, these disorders could have maternal outcomes that can be greatest trigger to postpartum psychiatric disorders and fetal outcomes that have harmful sequences during childhood (sexual, fertility, emotional, and cognitive problems). Health care providers should evaluate the mothers’ sleep quality because sleep disorder leads to harmful consequences in fetuses and children.

[Sleep apnea syndrome, pregnancy and fetal condition]

OBJECTIVE

To assess fetal cardiac activity with simultaneous polysomnographic (PSG) study of pregnancy with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-nine women, aged 18-30 years, 30-34 weeks pregnant, complaining of snoring, with a positive rating in 2 and/or 3 sections of the Berlin Sleep Questionnaire were included in the study. Sixteen pregnant women with the corresponding gestational age, without complaints of snoring, made up the control group. All participants underwent PSG monitoring and fetal cardiotocography (CTG) according to standard techniques.

RESULTS

PSG results demonstrate significant changes in sleep patterns in pregnant women with OSAS. There is a significant reduction in SWS 3, REM. High AHI, accompanied by desaturation and the appearance of activation EEG- patterns of cyclic alternations are characterized the sleep of pregnant women with OSAS. Analysis of CTG results shows that the average values of the basal rhythm are statistically higher in women with OSAS than in the control group. Also, the indicators of the amplitude of the oscillations, the frequency of oscillations and the number of movements in 30 minutes are statistically significantly different. Reaction of the fetus to episodes of apnea in the form of active perturbation, changes in heart rate as bradycardia (to 105-110 beats per minute) or tachycardia (to 155-160 beats per minute) compared to basal level (140 beats per minute) are noted.

CONCLUSION

OSAS during nocturnal sleep in pregnant women causes the changes in motor activity and cardiac activity of the fetus that indicates fetal hypoxemia.

Effect of Acupuncture on Pregnancy-Related Insomnia and Melatonin: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on sleep quality and overnight melatonin secretion, measured as urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, in pregnant women.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This randomized, parallel, single-blinded (participant), controlled trial was conducted on 72 pregnant women with insomnia. Study participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention, 10 sessions of acupuncture treatment over a 3-week period, or control group by block randomization (1:1). Patients in both groups were evaluated at baseline and post-treatment (third week) using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score (as the primary outcome) and urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin.

RESULTS

Fifty-five of 72 participants completed the study. There was no statistically significant difference regarding PSQI score and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin level between intervention and control groups at the baseline (P=0.169 and P=0.496). At the end of the study period, treatment with acupuncture significantly improved the PSQI score (P<0.001) with a large effect size of 3.7, as well as 6-sulfatoxymelatonin level (P=0.020) with a medium effect size of 0.6 as compared to the control group. No adverse effects were noted during acupuncture sessions and follow-up visits.

CONCLUSION

Acupuncture was shown to significantly improve the sleep quality in pregnant women, possibly through increasing melatonin secretion, and could be recommended as a low-cost and low-risk alternative treatment to pharmacological therapies.

Polysomnographic features of pregnancy: A systematic review

Symptoms of sleep disturbances are common among pregnant women and generally worsen across gestation. Pregnancy-related sleep disorders are not only associated with a poor quality of life of the affected mothers, but also with adverse perinatal outcomes, including perinatal depression, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm birth. The current knowledge about the impact of sleep disorders during pregnancy largely derives from the results of sleep surveys conducted in various populations. However, the number of studies examining changes in objective sleep variables during pregnancy via polysomnography has progressively increased in recent years. Here we systematically reviewed the polysomnographic studies available in the literature with the aim to describe the sleep pattern and to identify possible markers of sleep disruption in pregnant women. Based on our analysis, subjective worsening of sleep quality across gestation is related to objective changes in sleep macrostructure, which become particularly evident in the third trimester. Pregnancy per se does not represent an independent risk factor for developing major polysomnography-assessed sleep disorders in otherwise healthy women. However, in women presenting predisposing factors, such as obesity or hypertension, physiological changes occurring during pregnancy may contribute to the onset of pathological conditions, especially sleep-disordered breathing, which must be carefully considered.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnant Women: A Review of Pregnancy Outcomes and an Approach to Management

Among obese pregnant women, 15%-20% have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and this prevalence increases along with body mass index and in the presence of other comorbidities. Prepregnancy obesity and pregnancy-related weight gain are certainly risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy, but certain physiologic changes of pregnancy may also increase a woman's risk of developing or worsening OSA. While it has been shown that untreated OSA in postmenopausal women is associated with a range of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic comorbidities, a body of literature is emerging that suggests OSA may also have serious implications for the health of mothers and fetuses during and after pregnancy. In this review, we discuss the following: pregnancy as a vulnerable period for the development or worsening of OSA; the associations between OSA and maternal and fetal outcomes; the current screening modalities for OSA in pregnancy; and current recommendations regarding peripartum management of OSA.

Sleep in Women Across the Life Span

There are many ways in which women experience sleep differently from men. Women contending with distinct sleep challenges respond differently to sleep disorders, as well as sleep deprivation and deficiency, and face particular health outcomes as a result of poor sleep. Idiosyncrasies, including changes that occur with the biological life cycles of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, make the understanding of sleep in women an important topic to study. Each phase of a woman's life, from childhood to menopause, increases the risk of sleep disturbance in unique ways that may require distinct management. Indeed, new research is unraveling novel aspects of sleep pathology in women and the fundamental role that sex hormones play in influencing sleep regulation and arousals and possibly outcomes of sleep conditions. Moreover, studies indicate that during times of hormonal change, women are at an increased risk for sleep disturbances such as poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation, as well as sleep disorders such as OSA, restless legs syndrome, and insomnia. This article reviews sleep changes in female subjects from neonatal life to menopause.

Pulmonary Disorders in Pregnancy

Pregnancy is associated with some profound changes in the cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, and hematologic systems that impact the clinical presentation of respiratory disorders, their implications in pregnancy, and the decisions to treat. In addition, concerns for fetal well-being and safety of various interventions complicate the management of these disorders. In many circumstances, especially life-threatening ones, decisions are based upon a careful assessment of the risk benefit ratio rather than absolute safety of drugs and interventions. In this chapter, we review some of the common respiratory disorders that internists or obstetricians may be called upon to manage.

Sleep disorders in pregnancy

Sleep disturbances are common in pregnancy and may be influenced by a multitude of factors. Pregnancy physiology may predispose to sleep disruption but may also result in worsening of some underlying sleep disorders, and the de novo development of others. Apart from sleep disordered breathing, the impact of sleep disorders on pregnancy, fetal, and neonatal outcomes is poorly understood. In this article, we review the literature and discuss available data pertaining to the most common sleep disorders in perinatal women. These include restless legs syndrome, insomnia, circadian pattern disturbances, narcolepsy, and sleep-disordered breathing.

Epworth sleepiness scale scores and adverse pregnancy outcomes

PURPOSE

Snoring is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including gestational hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes, and Cesarean deliveries. The purpose of this study was to assess whether excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) assessed by Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) increases the risk of these complications further.

METHODS

Following institutional review board approval and informed consent, English-speaking women in the immediate postpartum period were systematically selected and recruited. Women answered a survey that included questions regarding symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) using the multivariable apnea prediction index and excessive daytime sleepiness using ESS. Pregnancy and fetal outcomes were collected by review of medical records. Standard statistical analysis with multivariable logistic regression was performed. ESS was evaluated both as a continuous variable and with various cutoffs given that pregnant women are likely more sleepy at baseline than the general population.

RESULTS

In patients who underwent planned Cesarean delivery, mean ESS was significantly higher than in those with uncomplicated vaginal delivery, even after adjusting for confounders (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.08; 95 % CI, 1.01-1.15; p = 0.02). There was no significant association between EDS (defined as ESS of >10) and gestational diabetes or gestational hypertensive disorders in snorers or non snorers. However, a significant association with gestational diabetes was found in patients with an ESS of >16 compared to those with an ESS of ≤16, even after multiple adjustments (aOR, 6.82; 95 % CI, 1.19-39.27), but the number of subjects in an ESS of >16 category was small.

CONCLUSIONS

There is an increased association between women with higher ESS and planned Cesarean delivery. Severe EDS was associated with gestational diabetes in pregnant women in a small sample size. Future studies in larger samples need to confirm the association of severe EDS and gestational diabetes and elucidate potential mechanisms of the links with adverse outcomes.

Sexual violence and pregnancy-related physical symptoms

Background

Few studies have investigated the impact of sexual violence on health during pregnancy. We examined the association between sexual violence and the reporting of physical symptoms during pregnancy.

Methods

A population-based national cohort study conducted by The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study (MoBa) collected data from pregnant women through postal questionnaires at 17 and 32 weeks gestation. Three levels of sexual violence were measured: 1) mild (pressured into sexual relations), 2) moderate (forced with violence into sexual relation) and 3) severe (rape). Differences between women reporting and not reporting sexual violence were assessed using Pearson’s X² test and multiple logistic regression analyses.

Results

Of 78 660 women, 12.0% (9 444) reported mild, 2.8% (2 219) moderate and 3.6% (2 805) severe sexual violence. Sexual violence was significantly associated with increased reporting of pregnancy-related physical symptoms, both measured in number of symptoms and duration/degree of suffering. Compared to women not reporting sexual violence, the probability of suffering from ≥8 pregnancy-related symptoms estimated by Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) was 1.49 (1.41–1.58) for mild sexual violence, 1.66(1.50–1.84) for moderate and 1.78 (1.62–1.95) for severe. Severe sexual violence both previously and recently had the strongest association with suffering from ≥8 pregnancy-related symptoms, AOR 6.70 (2.34–19.14).

Conclusion

A history of sexual violence is associated with increased reporting of pregnancy-related physical symptoms. Clinicians should consider the possible role of a history of sexual violence when treating women who suffer extensively from pregnancy-related symptoms.

Excessive daytime sleepiness in late pregnancy may not always be normal: results from a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

Many changes that normally occur during pregnancy disrupt sleep and may lead to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). However, given that pregnancy may also predispose to the development of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), we sought to investigate whether EDS may be associated with snoring, gasping, or apneas, further suggesting SDB.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of women in the immediate postpartum period was conducted. Participants answered questions from the multivariable apnea prediction index regarding snoring, gasping, and witnessed apneas in the last 3 months of pregnancy. Participants were also asked to answer Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questions, and a score 0-24 was calculated (>10 considered abnormal). Medical history and medication use were obtained both by history and review of the medical record.

RESULTS

Out of 1,000 women recruited, 990 women answered the ESS questionnaire completely. Mean prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) was 26.1 ± 6.2 with 21.7 % of the sample having a prepregnancy BMI ≥30. Mean ESS score was 7.1 ± 3.9, and 1.7 % of the total sample scored 16 or greater. ESS increased significantly with age, BMI, and neck circumference. All three symptoms of SDB were associated with higher mean ESS scores. In a multiple linear regression analysis, loud snoring, gasping, and apneas were statistically significant independent predictors of mean ESS score.

CONCLUSIONS

EDS measured by ESS is a common finding in pregnancy. Snoring, gasping, and apneas appear to be independent predictors of mean ESS scores.