Obstructive sleep apnea and the risk of perinatal outcomes: a meta-analysis of cohort studies

Association between sleep disorders and preeclampsia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Sleep disorders are prevalent during pregnancy and are associated with unfavorable outcomes. The meta-analysis evaluated the association between sleep disturbances and preeclampsia.

METHODS

We systematically searched in English and Persian databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Google Scholar, SID, IRANDOC, and MagIran, for studies published up to September 12, 2024. Eligibility was restricted to observational studies including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional designs on expectant mothers diagnosed with preeclampsia and sleep disorders. The population studied comprised pregnant mothers with preeclampsia and diagnosed sleep disorders, diagnosed using polysomnography. The common sleep disorders investigated included insomnia, poor sleep quality, breathing problems, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome. Two authors independently reviewed and assessed the quality of the studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic. Data were analyzed using RevMan 5, presenting results as random effects odds ratios (ORs) and standardized mean differences (SMDs), each with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

A total of 25 articles involving 3,992 participants were included in this analysis. Subgroup analysis showed that sleep disturbances significantly increased preeclampsia risk in pregnant women (Qualitative Sleep Disorder Indices OR = 6.79, 95% CI: 3.54-13.71; Quantitative Sleep Disorder Indices SMD = 3.91, 95% CI: 2.11-5.70, p < 0.001). Although high heterogeneity was observed among studies on sleep disorders (I2 = 82%, 96%), heterogeneity was low within studies focusing on sleep duration and quality (I2 = 0%). The meta-analysis found significantly higher systolic (29.42 mmHg) and diastolic (16.67 mmHg) blood pressure, as well as increased BMI and maternal age, in the preeclampsia group compared to controls (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Sleep disorders, including sleep-disordered breathing, obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and poor sleep quality, significantly increase the risk of developing preeclampsia. Prioritizing the diagnosis and treatment of these sleep disorders is crucial for improving pregnancy outcomes.

Sleep disturbances in late pregnancy: associations with induction of labor

PURPOSE

Sleep disturbances, which are common during pregnancy, may compromise labor. Nevertheless, little is known about associations between sleep disturbances and the likelihood of ending up induction of labor (IOL). Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the connections between sleep disturbances during pregnancy and IOL.

METHODS

Altogether 1778 women from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study with gestation weeks over 37 + 6 were enrolled in the study. The women were divided into IOL (n = 331) and spontaneous onset of labor (SOL, n = 1447) groups. Sleep disturbances in late pregnancy were evaluated using the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were conducted with adjustments for age, body mass index, parity, smoking, and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Sleep disturbances were frequent in both IOL and SOL groups. In the IOL group 43.0% and in the SOL group 39.0% had poor general sleep quality (P = 0.186). Nocturnal awakenings occurred most commonly, in 94.0% and 93.9%, respectively (P = 0.653). In the IOL group, more women (22.7%) were habitual snorers than in the SOL group (17.0%, P = 0.017), however, the difference lost the statistical significance in adjusted analysis (P = 0.848). Women in the IOL group were more likely to be short sleepers (< 7 h) compared to those in the SOL group (20.2% and 15.4%, respectively, P = 0.034) with no difference after adjustment (P = 0.133). The two groups showed no differences in sleep loss (P = 0.252).

CONCLUSIONS

Deterioration in sleep quality was noticeable in pregnant women, but it was unconnected with IOL. As the frequency of IOL is increasing, more research for related risk factors is needed.

Application of portable sleep monitoring devices in pregnancy: a comprehensive review

Objective.The physiological, hormonal and biomechanical changes during pregnancy may trigger sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in pregnant women. Pregnancy-related sleep disorders may associate with adverse fetal and maternal outcomes including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth and gestational hypertension. Most of the screening and diagnostic studies that explore SDB during pregnancy were based on questionnaires which are inherently limited in providing definitive conclusions. The current gold standard in diagnostics is overnight polysomnography (PSG) involving the comprehensive measurements of physiological changes during sleep. However, applying the overnight laboratory PSG on pregnant women is not practical due to a number of challenges such as patient inconvenience, unnatural sleep dynamics, and expenses due to highly trained personnel and technology. Parallel to the progress in wearable sensors and portable electronics, home sleep monitoring devices became indispensable tools to record the sleep signals of pregnant women at her own sleep environment. This article reviews the application of portable sleep monitoring devices in pregnancy with particular emphasis on estimating the perinatal outcomes.Approach.The advantages and disadvantages of home based sleep monitoring systems compared to subjective sleep questionnaires and overnight PSG for pregnant women were evaluated.Main Results.An overview on the efficiency of the application of home sleep monitoring in terms of accuracy and specificity were presented for particular fetal and maternal outcomes.Significance.Based on our review, more homogenous and comparable research is needed to produce conclusive results with home based sleep monitoring systems to study the epidemiology of SDB in pregnancy and its impact on maternal and neonatal health.

Association between Sleep Disordered Breathing and Neonatal Outcomes in Nulliparous Individuals

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to determine whether objectively measured sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of adverse neonatal outcomes in a cohort of nulliparous individuals.

STUDY DESIGN

Secondary analysis of the nuMom2b sleep disordered breathing substudy was performed. Individuals underwent in-home sleep studies for SDB assessment in early (6-15 weeks' gestation) and mid-pregnancy (22-31 weeks' gestation). SDB was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index ≥5 events/h at either time point. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnea of the newborn, or receipt of respiratory support, treated hyperbilirubinemia or hypoglycemia, large-for-gestational age, seizures treated with medications or confirmed by electroencephalography, confirmed sepsis, or neonatal death. Individuals were categorized into (1) early pregnancy SDB (6-15 weeks' gestation), (2) new onset mid-pregnancy SDB (22-31 weeks' gestation), and (3) no SDB. Log-binomial regression was used to calculate adjusted risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) representing the association.

RESULTS

Among 2,106 participants, 3% (n = 75) had early pregnancy SDB and 5.7% (n = 119) developed new-onset mid-pregnancy SDB. The incidence of the primary outcome was higher in the offspring of individuals with early (29.3%) and new onset mid-pregnancy SDB (30.3%) compared with individuals with no SDB (17.8%). After adjustment for maternal age, chronic hypertension, pregestational diabetes, and body mass index, new onset mid-pregnancy SDB conferred increased risk (RR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.94), where there was no longer statistically significant association between early pregnancy SDB and the primary outcome.

CONCLUSION

New onset, mid-pregnancy SDB is independently associated with neonatal morbidity.

KEY POINTS

· SDB is a common condition impacting pregnancy with known maternal risks.. · Objectively defined SDB in pregnancy was associated with a composite of adverse neonatal outcomes.. · New onset SDB in mid pregnancy conferred statistically significant increased risk..

Influencing factors of sleep quality in pregnant: a structural equation model approach

BACKGROUND

To describe the changes in the level of sleep quality during pregnancy among pregnant women in Urumqi; also to construct a structural equation model of the factors influencing the sleep quality of pregnant women, to analyze the path relationship between the influencing factors, and to take reasonable interventions to prevent and reduce the occurrence of sleep disorders among pregnant women.

METHODS

986 pregnant women who gave birth in Urumqi Maternal and Child Health Hospital and Urumqi Youai Hospital between August 2021 and May 2023 were selected. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) were used to assess the sleep, anxiety, and depression of pregnant women, Building a structural equation model based on AMOS 23.0 Tools.

RESULTS

The results of structural equation modeling showed that: basic characteristics, obstetrical characteristics, tocolysis, lifestyle, psychological had a direct effect on the PSQI, with path coefficients of 0.243, 0.106, 0.140, 0.174, 0.658, the corresponding T-values for each path are 4.585, 2.677, 2.578, 2.297, and 9.036. The indirect effect of basic characteristics, obstetric characteristics and lifestyle on PSQI was 0.123, 0.020, 0.027.

CONCLUSIONS

The high incidence of sleep disorders in pregnant women and their close association with psychological symptoms in pregnant women should focus on screening and counseling regarding psychological disorders in pregnant women, thus improving the quality of sleep in pregnant women.

Maternal sleep disordered breathing and offspring growth outcome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sleep disordered breathing is extremely common in pregnancy and is a risk factor for maternal complications. Animal models demonstrate that intermittent hypoxia causes abnormal fetal growth. However, there are conflicting data on the association between maternal sleep disordered breathing and offspring growth in humans. We investigated this association by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sixty-three manuscripts, and total study population of 67, 671, 110 pregnant women were included. Thirty-one studies used subjective methods to define sleep disordered breathing, 24 applied objective methods and eight used international codes. Using a random effects model, habitual snoring, defined by subjective methods, and obstructive sleep apnea, diagnosed by objective methods, were associated with an increased risk for large for gestational age (OR 1.46; 95%CI 1.02-2.09 and OR 2.19; 95%CI 1.63-2.95, respectively), while obstructive sleep apnea, identified by international codes, was associated with an increased risk for small for gestational age newborns (OR 1.28; 95%CI 1.02-1.60). Our results support that maternal sleep disordered breathing is associated with offspring growth, with differences related to the type of disorder and diagnostic methods used. Future studies should investigate underlying mechanisms and whether treatment of sleep disordered breathing ameliorates the neonatal growth.

Vision-based detection and quantification of maternal sleeping position in the third trimester of pregnancy in the home setting-Building the dataset and model

In 2021, the National Guideline Alliance for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists reviewed the body of evidence, including two meta-analyses, implicating supine sleeping position as a risk factor for growth restriction and stillbirth. While they concluded that pregnant people should be advised to avoid going to sleep on their back after 28 weeks' gestation, their main critique of the evidence was that, to date, all studies were retrospective and sleeping position was not objectively measured. As such, the Alliance noted that it would not be possible to prospectively study the associations between sleeping position and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Our aim was to demonstrate the feasibility of building a vision-based model for automated and accurate detection and quantification of sleeping position throughout the third trimester-a model with the eventual goal to be developed further and used by researchers as a tool to enable them to either confirm or disprove the aforementioned associations. We completed a Canada-wide, cross-sectional study in 24 participants in the third trimester. Infrared videos of eleven simulated sleeping positions unique to pregnancy and a sitting position both with and without bed sheets covering the body were prospectively collected. We extracted 152,618 images from 48 videos, semi-randomly down-sampled and annotated 5,970 of them, and fed them into a deep learning algorithm, which trained and validated six models via six-fold cross-validation. The performance of the models was evaluated using an unseen testing set. The models detected the twelve positions, with and without bed sheets covering the body, achieving an average precision of 0.72 and 0.83, respectively, and an average recall ("sensitivity") of 0.67 and 0.76, respectively. For the supine class with and without bed sheets covering the body, the models achieved an average precision of 0.61 and 0.75, respectively, and an average recall of 0.74 and 0.81, respectively.

Common sleep disorders in pregnancy: a review

In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of common sleep disorders during pregnancy, including their characterization, prevalence, risk factors, and possible contribution to maternal and fetal outcomes. We conducted a quasi-systematic literature search of the MEDLINE database and identified 744 studies from 1991 through 2021, inclusive, that met our inclusion criteria. We synthesized the existing literature on sleep disorders during pregnancy and highlighted controversies, research gaps, and needed clinical developments. Our review covers a range of sleep disorders, including insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorders. We discuss the prevalence of these disorders in pregnancy and their potential impact on maternal and fetal health outcomes. We also explore the relationship between sleep disorders, pre-pregnancy comorbidities such as obesity, and pregnancy-related conditions such as gestational diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia. In addition to summarizing the existing literature on sleep disorders during pregnancy, we also highlight opportunities for further research in this area. We suggest that future studies should strive to employ validated and objective measurement tools for sleep disorders and prioritize utilization of longitudinal methods with participant follow-up through postpartum, mid-life, menopause, and beyond. We also put forward investigation into the impact of circadian rhythm disruption on reproductive physiology and early pregnancy outcomes as an area of important work. Overall, our review provides valuable insights on sleep and reproduction and into common sleep disorders during pregnancy and their potential impact on maternal and fetal health outcomes.

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.

The Impact of Intermittent Hypoxia on Metabolism and Cognition

Intermittent hypoxia (IH), one of the primary pathologies of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), exposes cells throughout the body to repeated cycles of hypoxia/normoxia that result in oxidative stress and systemic inflammation. Since SAS is epidemiologically strongly correlated with type 2 diabetes/insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia included in metabolic syndrome, the effects of IH on gene expression in the corresponding cells of each organ have been studied intensively to clarify the molecular mechanism of the association between SAS and metabolic syndrome. Dementia has recently been recognized as a serious health problem due to its increasing incidence, and a large body of evidence has shown its strong correlation with SAS and metabolic disorders. In this narrative review, we first outline the effects of IH on the expression of genes related to metabolism in neuronal cells, pancreatic β cells, hepatocytes, adipocytes, myocytes, and renal cells (mainly based on the results of our experiments). Next, we discuss the literature regarding the mechanisms by which metabolic disorders and IH develop dementia to understand how IH directly and indirectly leads to the development of dementia.

Poor sleep Quality and Obstructive Sleep Apnea are Associated with Maternal Mood, and Anxiety Disorders in Pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Previous studies suggest sleep quality and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be associated with psychiatric symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, few studies have examined the relationship between sleep quality and OSA with maternal psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy, a state of vulnerability to these disorders.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study is to examine the association between poor sleep quality and sleep apnea with antepartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD among pregnant women.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among women seeking prenatal care in Lima, Peru. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Berlin questionnaire was used to identify women at high risk for OSA. Depression, generalized anxiety, and PTSD symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment, and PTSD Checklist - Civilian Version. Multivariate logistic regression procedures were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

Approximately 29.0X% of women had poor sleep quality, and 6.2% were at high risk for OSA. The prevalence of psychiatric symptoms was high in this cohort with 25.1%, 32.5%, and 30.9% of women reporting symptoms of antepartum depression, antepartum anxiety, and PTSD, respectively. Women with poor sleep quality had higher odds of antepartum depression (aOR = 3.28; 95%CI: 2.64-4.07), generalized anxiety (aOR = 1.94; 95%CI: 1.58-2.38), and PTSD symptoms (aOR = 2.81; 95% CI: 2.28-3.46) as compared with women who reported good sleep quality. Women with a high risk of OSA had higher odds of antepartum depression (aOR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.57-3.56), generalized anxiety (aOR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.36-3.00), and PTSD symptoms (aOR = 2.14; 95%CI: 1.43-3.21) as compared with those with a low risk of sleep apnea.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor sleep quality and high risk of OSA are associated with antepartum depression, generalized anxiety, and PTSD symptoms among pregnant women. Further characterizations of the associations of these prevalent sleep, mood, and anxiety conditions among pregnant women could aid in evaluating and delivering optimal perinatal care to women with these comorbidities.

The invisible costs of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): Systematic review and cost-of-illness analysis

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a risk factor for several diseases and is correlated with other non-medical consequences that increase the disease's clinical and economic burden. However, OSA's impact is highly underestimated, also due to substantial diagnosis gaps.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims at assessing the economic burden of OSA in the adult population in Italy by performing a cost-of-illness analysis with a societal perspective. In particular, we aimed at estimating the magnitude of the burden caused by conditions for which OSA is a proven risk factor.

METHODS

A systematic literature review on systematic reviews and meta-analyses, integrated by expert opinion, was performed to identify all clinical and non-clinical conditions significantly influenced by OSA. Using the Population Attributable Fraction methodology, a portion of their prevalence and costs was attributed to OSA. The total economic burden of OSA for the society was estimated by summing the costs of each condition influenced by the disease, the costs due to OSA's diagnosis and treatment and the economic value of quality of life lost due to OSA's undertreatment.

RESULTS

Twenty-six clinical (e.g., diabetes) and non-clinical (e.g., car accidents) conditions were found to be significantly influenced by OSA, contributing to an economic burden ranging from €10.7 to €32.0 billion/year in Italy. The cost of impaired quality of life due to OSA undertreatment is between €2.8 and €9.0 billion/year. These costs are substantially higher than those currently borne to diagnose and treat OSA (€234 million/year).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that the economic burden due to OSA is substantial, also due to low diagnosis and treatment rates. Providing reliable estimates of the economic impact of OSA at a societal level may increase awareness of the disease burden and help to guide evidence-based policies and prioritisation for healthcare, ultimately ensuring appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for patients.

Obstructive sleep apnea in pregnant women

The prevalence of OSA in the low-risk obstetric population is thought to be low; best estimates have been extrapolated from the one available large prospective study and likely range between 3–8%.1 OSA prevalence in high-risk pregnant women such as those with obesity and chronic hypertension is significantly higher as extrapolated from several smaller prospective studies which have reported a prevalence as high as 37% in obese women.2 –6 Despite the high prevalence of OSA in high-risk pregnant women, it remains underdiagnosed due to several factors.

An emerging body of literature suggests that OSA may also have serious implications for the health of mothers and fetuses during and beyond pregnancy, but there is still no data to determine if OSA treatment mitigates these adverse outcomes. In this review, we will examine this body of literature from the perspective of the anesthesiologist: the association between pregnancy and the development or worsening of OSA; OSA as it relates to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes; antepartum and screening considerations for OSA in pregnant women; and recommendations regarding the peripartum management of OSA.

An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational investigations of obstructive sleep apnea and health outcomes

PURPOSE

The previous analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses have illustrated that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is correlated with multiple health outcomes. In the present research, our main aim was to execute an umbrella review to assess the available evidence for the associations between OSA and health outcomes.

METHODS

Herein, a meta-analysis of previous observational investigations that have reported associations between OSA and health outcomes in all human populations and settings was performed. We used these studies to execute an umbrella review of available meta-analyses and systematic reviews.

RESULTS

Sixty-six articles comprising 136 unique outcomes were enrolled in this analysis. Of the 136 unique outcomes, 111 unique outcomes had significant associations (p < 0.05). Only 7 outcomes (coronary revascularization after PCI, postoperative respiratory failure, steatosis, alaninetrans aminase (ALT) elevation, metabolic syndrome (MS), psoriasis, and Parkinson's disease) had a high quality of evidence. Twenty-four outcomes had a moderate quality of evidence, and the remaining 80 outcomes had a weak quality of evidence. Sixty-nine outcomes exhibited significant heterogeneity. Twenty-five outcomes exhibited publication bias. Sixty-three (95%) studies showed critically low methodological quality.

CONCLUSION

Among the 66 meta-analyses exploring 136 unique outcomes, only 7 statistically significant outcomes were rated as high quality of evidence. OSA may correlate with an increased risk of coronary revascularization after PCI, postoperative respiratory failure, steatosis, ALT elevation, MS, psoriasis, and Parkinson's disease.

A feature of maternal sleep apnea during gestation causes autism-relevant neuronal and behavioral phenotypes in offspring

Mounting epidemiologic and scientific evidence indicates that many psychiatric disorders originate from a complex interplay between genetics and early life experiences, particularly in the womb. Despite decades of research, our understanding of the precise prenatal and perinatal experiences that increase susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders remains incomplete. Sleep apnea (SA) is increasingly common during pregnancy and is characterized by recurrent partial or complete cessations in breathing during sleep. SA causes pathological drops in blood oxygen levels (intermittent hypoxia, IH), often hundreds of times each night. Although SA is known to cause adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, the long-term consequences of maternal SA during pregnancy on brain-based behavioral outcomes and associated neuronal functioning in the offspring remain unknown. We developed a rat model of maternal SA during pregnancy by exposing dams to IH, a hallmark feature of SA, during gestational days 10 to 21 and investigated the consequences on the offspring's forebrain synaptic structure, synaptic function, and behavioral phenotypes across multiples stages of development. Our findings represent a rare example of prenatal factors causing sexually dimorphic behavioral phenotypes associated with excessive (rather than reduced) synapse numbers and implicate hyperactivity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in contributing to the behavioral aberrations. These findings have implications for neuropsychiatric disorders typified by superfluous synapse maintenance that are believed to result, at least in part, from largely unknown insults to the maternal environment.

Intermittent Hypoxia Upregulates the Renin and Cd38 mRNAs in Renin-Producing Cells via the Downregulation of miR-203

Sleep apnea syndrome is characterized by recurrent episodes of oxygen desaturation and reoxygenation (intermittent hypoxia [IH]), and it is a known risk factor for hypertension. The upregulation of the renin-angiotensin system has been reported in IH, and the correlation between renin and CD38 has been noted. We exposed human HEK293 and mouse As4.1 renal cells to experimental IH or normoxia for 24 h and then measured the mRNA levels using a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The mRNA levels of Renin (Ren) and Cd38 were significantly increased by IH, indicating that they could be involved in the CD38-cyclic ADP-ribose signaling pathway. We next investigated the promotor activities of both genes, which were not increased by IH. Yet, a target mRNA search of the microRNA (miRNA) revealed both mRNAs to have a potential target sequence for miR-203. The miR-203 level of the IH-treated cells was significantly decreased when compared with the normoxia-treated cells. The IH-induced upregulation of the genes was abolished by the introduction of the miR-203 mimic, but not the miR-203 mimic NC negative control. These results indicate that IH stress downregulates the miR-203 in renin-producing cells, thereby resulting in increased mRNA levels of Ren and Cd38, which leads to hypertension.

Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

INTRODUCTION

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, and hyperinsulinemia. Pregnancy increases the risk of OSA; however, the relationship between OSA and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is unclear. We aimed (1) to evaluate OSA prevalence in GDM patients; (2) to assess the association between OSA and GDM; and (3) to determine the relationships between sleep parameters with insulin resistance (IR).

METHODS

A total of 177 consecutive women (89 with GDM, 88 controls) in the third trimester of pregnancy underwent a hospital polysomnography. OSA was defined when the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was ≥5h-1.

RESULTS

Patients with GDM had higher pregestational body mass index (BMI) and neck circumference than controls, but no differences in snoring or OSA-symptoms, or AHI (3.2±6.0 vs. 1.9±2.7h-1, p=.069). OSA prevalence was not significantly different in both groups. We did not identify OSA as a GDM risk factor in the crude analysis 1.65 (95%CI: 0.73-3.77; p=.232). Multiple regression showed that total sleep time (TST), TST spent with oxygen saturation<90% (T90), and maximum duration of respiratory events as independent factors related with homeostasis model assessment of IR, while T90 was the only independent determinant of quantitative insulin sensitivity check index.

CONCLUSION

OSA prevalence during the third trimester of pregnancy was not significantly different in patients with GDM than without GDM, and no associations between OSA and GDM determinants were found. We identified T90 and obstructive respiratory events length positive-related to IR, while TST showed an inverse relationship with IR in pregnant women.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy: Early Lessons From Our Sleep Pregnancy Clinic

PROBLEM CONSIDERED

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is underdiagnosed during pregnancy, but there is strong theoretical and some empiric evidence that treatment may improve obstetric outcomes. Barriers to screening, testing, and treatment are common during pregnancy. The goal of this described intervention was to reduce these barriers and improve detection of OSA in pregnancy.

METHODS

Representatives from sleep medicine and perinatology established a cross-disciplinary, collaborative Sleep Pregnancy Clinic offering a streamlined referral process for multimodal screening, testing, and treatment of OSA during pregnancy. This is a retrospective analysis of data from the clinic's first 19 months.

RESULTS

Between June 2017 and December 2018, 134 pregnant women were referred for OSA testing. Sixty-three (47.0%) completed objective sleep testing, and 38 (60.3%) of the women who completed testing met diagnostic criteria for OSA. This intervention resulted in a statistically significant increase in the number of diagnostic sleep apnea tests performed (average 22.4 tests per year pre-intervention, 77 per year post-intervention [P  = 0.0012]).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Despite a streamlined referral pipeline, completion rates of OSA testing in pregnant women remained below 50%. However, the overall number of women referred and who completed testing increased significantly during this time period. Of those who completed testing, the majority were diagnosed with OSA. Since starting this clinic, we have created resources to familiarize patients with the equipment and worked to reduce other barriers. Assessment of these interventions and the impact of treatment on obstetric outcomes is ongoing, as is assessment of reasons women do not complete diagnostic testing.

Sleep disturbances during pregnancy and adverse maternal and fetal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in pregnancy and are frequently overlooked as a potential cause of significant morbidity. The association between sleep disturbances and pregnancy outcomes remains largely controversial and needs to be clarified to guide management. To evaluate the association between sleep disturbances and maternal complications and adverse fetal outcomes, we performed a systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Web of Science for English-language articles published from inception to March 6, 2020, including observational studies of pregnant women with and without sleep disturbances assessing the risk of obstetric complications in the antenatal, intrapartum or postnatal period, and neonatal complications. Data extraction was completed independently by two reviewers. We utilized the Newcastle-Ottawa Scales to assess the methodological quality of included studies and random-effect models to pool the associations. A total of 120 studies with 58,123,250 pregnant women were included. Sleep disturbances were assessed, including poor sleep quality, extreme sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, restless legs syndrome, subjective sleep-disordered breathing and diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. Significant associations were found between sleep disturbances in pregnancy and a variety of maternal complications and adverse fetal outcomes. Overall sleep disturbances were significantly associated with pre-eclampsia (odds ratio = 2.80, 95% confidence interval: 2.38-3.30), gestational hypertension (1.74, 1.54-1.97), gestational diabetes mellitus (1.59, 1.45-1.76), cesarean section (1.47, 1.31-1.64), preterm birth (1.38, 1.26-1.51), large for gestational age (1.40, 1.11-1.77), and stillbirth (1.25, 1.08-1.45), but not small for gestational age (1.03, 0.92-1.16), or low birth weight (1.27, 0.98-1.64). Sleep disturbances were related to higher morbidities in pregnant women who are 30 y or older and overweight before pregnancy. The findings indicate that sleep disturbances, which are easily ignored and treatable for both pregnant women and clinical services, deserve more attention from health care providers during prenatal counseling and health care services.

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with adverse maternal outcomes using a United States multistate database cohort, 2007-2014

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea affects approximately 11% of women of reproductive age, although it is often undetected and untreated. Previous studies suggest an association between obstructive sleep apnea and adverse maternal outcomes. Herein, we aim to better characterize the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and maternal outcomes.

METHODS

Using the State Inpatient Databases, we performed a retrospective analysis of parturients ≥18 years old having inpatient deliveries in Florida, New York, California, Maryland, and Kentucky from 2007 to 2014. Outcomes included maternal pre-existing conditions, in-hospital mortality, maternal-fetal conditions and complications, and hospital length of stay >5 days.

RESULTS

Our cohort consisted of 6 911 916 parturients of whom 4326 (0.06%) had obstructive sleep apnea. Women with obstructive sleep apnea were more likely to present with pre-existing conditions, such as obesity and pre-pregnancy diabetes. After adjusting for patient- and hospital-level confounders in our multivariate analysis, obstructive sleep apnea status was associated with an increased odds of maternal-fetal conditions and complications, including pre-eclampsia (aOR 2.05, 95% CI 1.87 to 2.26), pulmonary edema (aOR 4.73, 95% CI 2.84 to 7.89), cesarean delivery (aOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.81 to 2.11), early onset delivery (aOR 1.28, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.40), and length of stay >5 days (aOR 2.42, 95% CI 2.21 to 2.65). Obstructive sleep apnea was not significantly associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea have a significantly higher adjusted risk of adverse maternal outcomes compared with women without obstructive sleep apnea.

Prevalence of symptoms and risk of obstructive sleep apnea in Saudi pregnant women

BACKGROUND:

This case-control study aimed to assess the prevalence of symptoms and risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among Saudi pregnant women.

METHODS:

The study included consecutive Saudi pregnant women attending the antenatal service between July 2015 and December 2016. Pregnant women were compared with an age-matched group of nonpregnant women. OSA symptoms and risk were assessed using a validated Arabic version of the Berlin questionnaire (BQ).

RESULTS:

The study included 742 pregnant women and 742 age-matched nonpregnant women. At the time of the survey, 8.2% were in the first trimester; 33.4% in the second trimester; and 58.4%in third trimester. Snoring was reported by 14% of pregnant women, and 5% reported breathing pauses during sleep. Based on the BQ stratification for risk of OSA, 19.3% of pregnant women and 16.6% of the control group were at high risk for OSA. A comparison between the high OSA-risk and low OSA-risk pregnant women revealed that the pregnant women in high risk group were older (30.9 ± 5.9 years vs. 29 ± 5.4 years, P = 0.001), had a higher body mass index (BMI) (34.3 ± 5.2 kg/m² vs. 28.7 ± 5.8 kg/m², P < 0.001), and higher parity (1.9 ± 2 vs. 1.5 ± 1.7, P = 0.020). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the following independent variables, BMI (odds ratio [OR] 1.173 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.129–1.219],P < 0.001), pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR 7.85 [95% CI 1.691–36.447], P = 0.013), and the presence of restless legs syndrome (OR 2.209 [95% CI 1.332–3.279],P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

OSA symptoms and risk were relatively common among Saudi pregnant women. Increasing the awareness among physicians about this association is essential to improve early detection of the disorder.

Nocturnal oxygen desaturation in the late third trimester of uncomplicated pregnancy for prediction of late-onset gestational hypertension

AIM

This study aimed to determine whether 1-night screening of oxygen desaturation in women with uncomplicated pregnancy about 1 month before the due date is useful to predict late-onset gestational hypertension (GH) after 37 weeks of gestation.

METHODS

We recruited 102 women with uncomplicated pregnancy between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation. These women then completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Berlin Questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnea, and recorded their oxygen saturation (SpO₂ ) and physical acceleration profiles during nocturnal sleep for 1 night at home using a portable pulse oximeter and actigraph, respectively. Thereafter, their blood pressure was monitored weekly until delivery.

RESULTS

Pulse oximetry data between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation revealed that three women had an oxygen desaturation index (ODI) ≥5.0 and seven had a minimum SpO₂ < 90%. During follow-up until delivery, two women with an ODI ≥5.0 and a minimum SaO₂ <90% developed GH at 37 weeks of gestation. Among clinical measures at recruitment, body mass index (BMI) and pulse oximetry measures appeared available for the prediction of GH. The positive predictive values (95% confidence intervals) of the criteria using these measures were 0.67 (0.26-0.67) for ODI ≥5.0, 0.29 (0.10-0.35) for minimum SpO₂ <90%, and 0.07 (0.02-0.07) for BMI ≥25.0.

CONCLUSION

For the prediction of late-onset GH after 37 weeks of gestation, pulse oximetry measures about 1 month before the due date are particularly useful because of their high positive predictive values.

The effect of sleep impairment on gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the influence of sleep duration or impairment (poor sleep quality, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea [OSA]) on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, EBSCO, and WOS databases were searched up to March 4th, 2019. Cohort studies were included and relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as the measure of effects. Heterogeneity was assessed by the Chi-squared and I² tests. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analysis, and dose-response analysis were performed. The overall quality of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

A total of 16 studies with 2,551,017 pregnant women and 142,103 GDM cases were included in this study. Both short and long sleep duration were associated with increased risk of GDM. There was a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and GDM risk (P_{-nonlinearity} < 0.001), and pregnant women with 8 h of sleep presented lower GDM risk. Poor sleep quality, snoring and OSA also increased the subsequent risk of GDM.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women should be made aware of the benefits of proper sleep, and those with poor sleep quality, snoring, and OSA should be screened for GDM.

Association between adverse perinatal outcomes and sleep disturbances during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Due to physiological and hormonal factors, sleep disturbances are prevalent in the obstetric population. Multiple studies have evaluated the relationship between sleep disturbances and perinatal outcomes, with inconsistent results. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to further assess the overall relationship between four types of sleep disturbances (snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, extreme sleep duration, and poor sleep quality) and adverse perinatal outcomes.Methods: We performed electronic searches in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang Data in February 2019 to identify studies that assessed adverse perinatal outcomes among expectant mothers with sleep disturbances.Results: In total, 5044 studies were identified in the initial search and 65 met the defined criteria. Pooled analysis showed that sleep disturbances were associated with an increased risk for preeclampsia (aOR: 2.77; 95% CI: 1.81-4.24), gestational diabetes mellitus (aOR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.62-2.38), cesarean delivery (aOR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.70-2.33), depression (aOR: 3.98; 95% CI: 2.74-5.77) and preterm birth (aOR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.55-2.45).Conclusions: The four studied sleep disturbances (OSA, snoring, extreme sleep duration and poor sleep quality) during pregnancy were associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Expectant mothers should be advised to practice healthy sleep hygiene measures.

Sleep in Pregnancy and Maternal Hyperglycemia: a Narrative Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Prevalence of gestational diabetes is increasing globally and sleep may be a modifiable lifestyle factor associated with it. However, existing findings have been inconsistent.

RECENT FINDINGS

Majority of studies reviewed found a link between extreme sleep durations and elevated risk of maternal hyperglycemia. The findings with sleep-disordered breathing are less consistent. Methodological differences across studies, in terms of sleep assessment methods (subjective vs. objective), study population (low vs. high risk), classification of gestational diabetes and sleep problems, may have contributed to the inconsistent findings. Some studies also suggest the possibility of trimester-specific association between sleep and maternal hyperglycemia. Large-scale prospective studies comprising objective measurements of sleep, preferably over three trimesters and preconception, are needed to better evaluate the relationship between sleep and maternal hyperglycemia.

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 and female reproduction

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Sleep disturbances are increasing in prevalence in North America. There is growing evidence that poor sleep quality and short sleep duration may adversely affect circadian rhythms, which in turn may affect female reproduction. The objective of this review is to evaluate recent literature on the association between sleep disturbances and female reproduction.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is accumulating evidence that sleep quality and duration are important for female reproduction, but epidemiologic research is limited. Recent studies provide suggestive evidence that sleep disorders are associated with increased menstrual irregularity, subfertility/infertility, and poor pregnancy and birth outcomes. Mechanisms underlying these associations are likely to be multifactorial and complex. In addition to genetics, circadian disruption may impact reproductive outcomes through dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation. Recommendations for future studies include: use of prospective study designs; assessment of populations not already experiencing reproductive disorders; more detailed and accurate assessments of sleep such as validated self-reported measures or objective sleep measures (e.g. actigraphy); comprehensive assessment of potential confounders and mediators; and elucidation of biologic mechanisms.

SUMMARY

There is a growing body of literature showing evidence that sleep disturbances influence female reproduction, although further epidemiologic research is needed.

Prediction of pre-eclampsia: review of reviews

OBJECTIVE

Primary studies and systematic reviews provide estimates of varying accuracy for different factors in the prediction of pre-eclampsia. The aim of this study was to review published systematic reviews to collate evidence on the ability of available tests to predict pre-eclampsia, to identify high-value avenues for future research and to minimize future research waste in this field.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library including DARE (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects) databases, from database inception to March 2017, and bibliographies of relevant articles were searched, without language restrictions, for systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the prediction of pre-eclampsia. The quality of the included reviews was assessed using the AMSTAR tool and a modified version of the QUIPS tool. We evaluated the comprehensiveness of search, sample size, tests and outcomes evaluated, data synthesis methods, predictive ability estimates, risk of bias related to the population studied, measurement of predictors and outcomes, study attrition and adjustment for confounding.

RESULTS

From 2444 citations identified, 126 reviews were included, reporting on over 90 predictors and 52 prediction models for pre-eclampsia. Around a third (n = 37 (29.4%)) of all reviews investigated solely biochemical markers for predicting pre-eclampsia, 31 (24.6%) investigated genetic associations with pre-eclampsia, 46 (36.5%) reported on clinical characteristics, four (3.2%) evaluated only ultrasound markers and six (4.8%) studied a combination of tests; two (1.6%) additional reviews evaluated primary studies investigating any screening test for pre-eclampsia. Reviews included between two and 265 primary studies, including up to 25 356 688 women in the largest review. Only approximately half (n = 67 (53.2%)) of the reviews assessed the quality of the included studies. There was a high risk of bias in many of the included reviews, particularly in relation to population representativeness and study attrition. Over 80% (n = 106 (84.1%)) summarized the findings using meta-analysis. Thirty-two (25.4%) studies lacked a formal statement on funding. The predictors with the best test performance were body mass index (BMI) > 35 kg/m² , with a specificity of 92% (95% CI, 89-95%) and a sensitivity of 21% (95% CI, 12-31%); BMI > 25 kg/m² , with a specificity of 73% (95% CI, 64-83%) and a sensitivity of 47% (95% CI, 33-61%); first-trimester uterine artery pulsatility index or resistance index > 90^th centile (specificity 93% (95% CI, 90-96%) and sensitivity 26% (95% CI, 23-31%)); placental growth factor (specificity 89% (95% CI, 89-89%) and sensitivity 65% (95% CI, 63-67%)); and placental protein 13 (specificity 88% (95% CI, 87-89%) and sensitivity 37% (95% CI, 33-41%)). No single marker had a test performance suitable for routine clinical use. Models combining markers showed promise, but none had undergone external validation.

CONCLUSIONS

This review of reviews calls into question the need for further aggregate meta-analysis in this area given the large number of published reviews subject to the common limitations of primary predictive studies. Prospective, well-designed studies of predictive markers, preferably randomized intervention studies, and combined through individual-patient data meta-analysis are needed to develop and validate new prediction models to facilitate the prediction of pre-eclampsia and minimize further research waste in this field. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Screening extremely obese pregnant women for obstructive sleep apnea

BACKGROUND

Obesity is prevalent among pregnant women in the United States; obstructive sleep apnea is highly comorbid with obesity and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Screening for obstructive sleep apnea in pregnant women has remained a challenge because of a lack of validated screening tools.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate established obstructive sleep apnea screening tools, a sleepiness scale, and individual component items in a cohort of pregnant women with extreme obesity in mid pregnancy with the use of objective testing to determine obstructive sleep apnea status and to describe the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea among women with extreme obesity.

STUDY DESIGN

Adult pregnant subjects, between 24 and 35 weeks gestation, with a body mass index ≥40 kg/m² at the time of enrollment completed obstructive sleep apnea screening tools (Berlin Questionnaire, American Society of Anesthesiologists checklist, and STOP-BANG questionnaire) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale; they also underwent physical examination of the neck, mouth, and airway. The published obstructive sleep apnea in pregnancy prediction score was calculated for each subject. Obstructive sleep apnea status for each subject was determined by the results of an overnight, unattended type III home sleep apnea test.

RESULTS

Twenty-four percent of pregnant women with extreme obesity had obstructive sleep apnea on home sleep apnea testing in mid pregnancy (Apnea-Hypopnea Index, ≥5 events per hour]. Established obstructive sleep apnea screening tools performed very poorly to screen for obstructive sleep apnea in this cohort. Age, body mass index, neck circumference, frequently witnessed apneas, and highly likely to fall asleep while driving were associated most strongly with obstructive sleep apnea status in this cohort.

CONCLUSION

We found that 24% of pregnant women with body mass index ≥40 kg/m² between 24 and 35 weeks gestation have obstructive sleep apnea, defined as Apnea-Hypopnea Index ≥5 events per hour on an overnight type III home sleep apnea test. We found the Berlin Questionnaire, American Society of Anesthesiologists checklist, STOP-BANG, obstructive sleep apnea in pregnancy score by Facco et al, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale were not useful screening tools for obstructive sleep apnea in a cohort of obese pregnant women. However, age, body mass index, neck circumference, frequently witnessed apneas, and likely to fall asleep while driving were associated with obstructive sleep apnea in this cohort. Further studies are needed to adjust the criteria and thresholds within the available screening tools to better predict obstructive sleep apnea in pregnant women with obesity.

The intrapartum and perinatal risks of sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy: a systematic review and metaanalysis

OBJECTIVE DATA

Sleep-disordered breathing is an increasingly common condition in nonobstetric populations and is associated with significant morbidity. The incidence of sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy is unknown, and it is likely that many cases go undiagnosed.

STUDY

A systematic review and metaanalysis was undertaken to determine whether pregnant women who receive a diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing are more likely to have adverse intrapartum and perinatal outcomes compared with control subjects.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and Cinahl databases were searched for full-text publications in English of sleep-disordered breathing and human pregnancy up to June 2017. Only studies that reported on sleep-disordered breathing in relation to gestational age or birthweight at delivery, preterm birth, mode of delivery, cord pH, Apgar score, nursery admission, stillbirth or perinatal death, meconium at delivery, or wound complications were included.

RESULTS

A total of 1576 results were identified; 33 studies met inclusion criteria. Women with sleep-disordered breathing were older (mean difference, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.28) and had a higher body mass index (mean difference, 3.31; 95% confidence interval, 2.30-4.32) than those who did not. Maternal sleep-disordered breathing was associated significantly with preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation; odds ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.50-2.31) and low birthweight (<2500 g; odds ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.78). These women were also less likely to have a vaginal delivery (odds ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-0.78) and to be at a higher risk of having an assisted vaginal delivery (odds ratio, 1.88; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-3.21) or a cesarean delivery (odds ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.55-2.11). The risk of both elective (odds ratio, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 - 1.76) and emergency cesarean (odds ratio, 2.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-5.29) was increased. In addition, women with sleep-disordered breathing were at a higher risk of having an infant with a 5-minute Apgar score <7 (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-3.71), stillbirth or perinatal death (odds ratio, 2.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-3.28), and neonatal nursery admission (odds ratio, 1.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-2.61).

CONCLUSION

Maternal sleep-disordered breathing is associated with increased risks of adverse intrapartum and perinatal outcomes.

Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy

The spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) ranges from mild snoring to obstructive sleep apnea, the most severe form of SDB. Current recommendations are to treat these women with continuous positive airway pressure despite limited data. SDB in early and mid-pregnancy is associated with preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. Pregnant women with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea at delivery were at significantly increased risk of having cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism, and in-hospital death. These effects were exacerbated in the presence of obesity. Postpartum, these women are at risk for respiratory suppression and should be monitored.

A review of the associations between obstructive sleep apnea and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and possible mechanisms of disease

Obesity is prevalent among pregnant women in the United States; 15-20% of obese pregnant women have obstructive sleep apnea. The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea increases along with body mass index, age and in the presence of other co-morbidities. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea in women is associated with a range of cardiovascular, pulmonary and metabolic co-morbidities; recent studies suggest that women with obstructive sleep apnea in pregnancy may be at significantly greater risk of entering pregnancy with chronic hypertension and/or of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: gestational hypertension; preeclampsia; or eclampsia. This has serious public health implications; hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a major cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and are associated with a greater lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms that associated obstructive sleep apnea with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy have not been defined, but several pathways are scientifically plausible. In this review, we will present a comprehensive literature review of the following: the associations between obstructive sleep apnea and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; the proposed mechanisms that may connect obstructive sleep apnea and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; and the effectiveness of treatment at mitigating these adverse outcomes.

Diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea during pregnancy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review aims to provide an update on recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during pregnancy and its effect on maternal and fetal outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Current OSA screening tools may not perform well in this population. There are some pieces of evidence linking poorer maternal and neonatal outcome with pregnant patients having OSA. At present, there are inadequate data on which to base fetal or maternal parameters for treatment of OSA, and no evidence that treatment in the short-term impacts maternal or neonatal outcomes.

SUMMARY

Further research is needed to help in the detection and treatment of OSA in pregnancy.

The role of sleep duration and sleep disordered breathing in gestational diabetes mellitus

Many women experience sleep problems during pregnancy. This includes difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep due to physiologic changes that occur as pregnancy progresses, as well as increased symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Growing evidence indicates that sleep deficiency alters glucose metabolism and increases risk of diabetes. Poor sleep may exacerbate the progressive increase in insulin resistance that normally occurs during pregnancy, thus contributing to the development of maternal hyperglycemia. Here, we critically review evidence that exposure to short sleep duration or SDB during pregnancy is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Several studies have found that the frequency of GDM is higher in women exposed to short sleep compared with longer sleep durations. Despite mixed evidence regarding whether symptoms of SDB (e.g., frequent snoring) are associated with GDM after adjusting for BMI or obesity, it has been shown that clinically-diagnosed SDB is prospectively associated with GDM. There are multiple mechanisms that may link sleep deprivation and SDB with insulin resistance, including increased levels of oxidative stress, inflammation, sympathetic activity, and cortisol. Despite emerging evidence that sleep deficiency and SDB are associated with increased risk of GDM, it has yet to be demonstrated that improving sleep in pregnant women (e.g., by extending sleep duration or treating SDB) protects against the development of hyperglycemia. If a causal relationship can be established, behavioral therapies for improving sleep can potentially be used to reduce the risk and burden of GDM.

The Impact of Self-Reported Sleep on Caesarean Delivery in Women Undergoing Induction of Labour: A Prospective Study

216 women admitted for labour induction were recruited to evaluate sleep duration and other sleep measures on Caesarean delivery risk. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Berlin (Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), Epworth Sleepiness Scale, International Restless Leg Syndrome, Insomnia Symptom Questionnaires were applied. Short sleep duration was defined as reported night sleep length in the previous month below the study population median of 6 hours. After binomial analysis, Caesarean delivery after labour induction is associated with short sleep duration (RR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9, P = 0.018), nulliparity, Bishop Score, prepregnant BMI and birth weight at P < 0.05. After adjustment for nulliparity, Bishop Score, prepregnant BMI and birth weight, short sleep duration remains independently predictive of Caesarean delivery AOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.1-5.0, P = 0.026. Women at high risk for OSA has a non-significant result on binomial analysis, RR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.7, P = 0.073. In a sensitivity analysis which includes OSA in the multivariable logistic regression model, OSA's predictive effect is attenuated AOR 1.2, 95% CI 0.4-3.2, P = 0.782 whilst short sleep duration remains significant AOR 2.3 95% CI 1.0-5.1, P = 0.039. Other evaluated sleep measures are not predictive of Caesarean delivery.

Sleep Disorder Diagnosis During Pregnancy and Risk of Preterm Birth

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that sleep disorder diagnosis would be associated with increased risk of preterm birth and to examine risk by gestational age, preterm birth type, and specific sleep disorder (insomnia, sleep apnea, movement disorder, and other).

METHODS

In this observational study, participants were from a cohort of nearly 3 million women in California between 2007 and 2012. Inclusion criteria were women with singleton neonates liveborn between 20 and 44 weeks of gestation without chromosomal abnormalities or major structural birth defects linked to a hospital discharge database maintained by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and without mental illness during pregnancy. Sleep disorder was defined based on International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic code (n=2,265). Propensity score matching was used to select a referent population at a one-to-one ratio. Odds of preterm birth were examined by gestational age (less than 34 weeks, 34-36 weeks, and less than 37 weeks of gestation) and type (spontaneous, indicated).

RESULTS

Prevalence of preterm birth (before 37 weeks of gestation) was 10.9% in the referent group compared with 14.6% among women with a recorded sleep disorder diagnosis. Compared with the referent group, odds (95% CI, P value, percentage) of preterm birth were 1.3 (1.0-1.7, P=.023, 14.1%) for insomnia and 1.5 (1.2-1.8, P<.001, 15.5%) for sleep apnea. Risk varied by gestational age and preterm birth type. Odds of preterm birth were not significantly increased for sleep-related movement disorders or other sleep disorders.

CONCLUSION

Insomnia and sleep apnea were associated with significantly increased risk of preterm birth. Considering the high prevalence of sleep disorders during pregnancy and availability of evidence-based nonpharmacologic interventions, current findings suggest that screening for severe presentations would be prudent.

Circulating exosomes in obstructive sleep apnea as phenotypic biomarkers and mechanistic messengers of end-organ morbidity

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most severe form of sleep disordered breathing, is characterized by intermittent hypoxia during sleep (IH), sleep fragmentation, and episodic hypercapnia. OSA is associated with increased risk for morbidity and mortality affecting cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive systems, and more recently with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cancer-related deaths. Substantial variability in OSA outcomes suggests that genetically-determined and environmental and lifestyle factors affect the phenotypic susceptibility to OSA. Furthermore, OSA and obesity often co-exist and manifest activation of shared molecular end-organ injury mechanisms that if properly identified may represent potential therapeutic targets. A challenge in the development of non-invasive diagnostic assays in body fluids is the ability to identify clinically relevant biomarkers. Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) include a heterogeneous population of vesicular structures including exosomes, prostasomes, microvesicles (MVs), ectosomes and oncosomes, and are classified based on their size, shape and membrane surface composition. Of these, exosomes (30-100nm) are very small membrane vesicles derived from multi-vesicular bodies or from the plasma membrane and play important roles in mediating cell-cell communication via cargo that includes lipids, proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs and DNA. We have recently identified a unique cluster of exosomal miRNAs in both humans and rodents exposed to intermittent hypoxia as well as in patients with OSA with divergent morbid phenotypes. Here we summarize such recent findings, and will focus on exosomal miRNAs in both adult and children which mediate intercellular communication relevant to OSA and endothelial dysfunction, and their potential value as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine Guidelines on Preoperative Screening and Assessment of Adult Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

The purpose of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine guideline on preoperative screening and assessment of adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is to present recommendations based on the available clinical evidence on the topic where possible. As very few well-performed randomized studies in this field of perioperative care are available, most of the recommendations were developed by experts in the field through consensus processes involving utilization of evidence grading to indicate the level of evidence upon which recommendations were based. This guideline may not be appropriate for all clinical situations and all patients. The decision whether to follow these recommendations must be made by a responsible physician on an individual basis. Protocols should be developed by individual institutions taking into account the patients’ conditions, extent of interventions and available resources. This practice guideline is not intended to define standards of care or represent absolute requirements for patient care. The adherence to these guidelines cannot in any way guarantee successful outcomes and is rather meant to help individuals and institutions formulate plans to better deal with the challenges posed by perioperative patients with OSA. These recommendations reflect the current state of knowledge and its interpretation by a group of experts in the field at the time of publication. While these guidelines will be periodically updated, new information that becomes available between updates should be taken into account. Deviations in practice from guidelines may be justifiable and such deviations should not be interpreted as a basis for claims of negligence.

Late gestational intermittent hypoxia induces metabolic and epigenetic changes in male adult offspring mice

KEY POINTS

Late gestation during pregnancy has been associated with a relatively high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Intermittent hypoxia, a hallmark of OSA, could impose significant long-term effects on somatic growth, energy homeostasis and metabolic function in offspring. Here we show that late gestation intermittent hypoxia induces metabolic dysfunction as reflected by increased body weight and adiposity index in adult male offspring that is paralleled by epigenomic alterations and inflammation in visceral white adipose tissue. Fetal perturbations by OSA during pregnancy impose long-term detrimental effects manifesting as metabolic dysfunction in adult male offspring.

ABSTRACT

Pregnancy, particularly late gestation (LG), has been associated with a relatively high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Intermittent hypoxia (IH), a hallmark of OSA, could impose significant long-term effects on somatic growth, energy homeostasis, and metabolic function in offspring. We hypothesized that IH during late pregnancy (LG-IH) may increase the propensity for metabolic dysregulation and obesity in adult offspring via epigenetic modifications. Time-pregnant female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to LG-IH or room air (LG-RA) during days 13-18 of gestation. At 24 weeks, blood samples were collected from offspring mice for lipid profiles and insulin resistance, indirect calorimetry was performed and visceral white adipose tissues (VWAT) were assessed for inflammatory cells as well as for differentially methylated gene regions (DMRs) using a methylated DNA immunoprecipitation on chip (MeDIP-chip). Body weight, food intake, adiposity index, fasting insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol levels were all significantly higher in LG-IH male but not female offspring. LG-IH also altered metabolic expenditure and locomotor activities in male offspring, and increased number of pro-inflammatory macrophages emerged in VWAT along with 1520 DMRs (P < 0.0001), associated with 693 genes. Pathway analyses showed that genes affected by LG-IH were mainly associated with molecular processes related to metabolic regulation and inflammation. LG-IH induces metabolic dysfunction as reflected by increased body weight and adiposity index in adult male offspring that is paralleled by epigenomic alterations and inflammation in VWAT. Thus, perturbations to fetal environment by OSA during pregnancy can have long-term detrimental effects on the fetus, and lead to persistent metabolic dysfunction in adulthood.

Sleep Quality and Nocturnal Sleep Duration in Pregnancy and Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Study Objectives

To examine the influence of maternal sleep quality and nocturnal sleep duration on risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a multiethnic Asian population.

Methods

A cohort of 686 women (376 Chinese, 186 Malay, and 124 Indian) with a singleton pregnancy attended a clinic visit at 26-28 weeks of gestation as part of the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes mother-offspring cohort study. Self-reported sleep quality and sleep duration were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). GDM was diagnosed based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test administered after an overnight fast (1999 WHO criteria). Multiple logistic regression was used to model separately the associations of poor sleep quality (PSQI score > 5) and short nocturnal sleep duration (<6 h) with GDM, adjusting for age, ethnicity, maternal education, body mass index, previous history of GDM, and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score).

Results

In the cohort 296 women (43.1%) had poor sleep quality and 77 women (11.2%) were categorized as short sleepers; 131 women (19.1%) were diagnosed with GDM. Poor sleep quality and short nocturnal sleep duration were independently associated with increased risk of GDM (poor sleep, adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11 to 2.76; short sleep, adjusted OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.66).

Conclusions

During pregnancy, Asian women with poor sleep quality or short nocturnal sleep duration exhibited abnormal glucose regulation. Treating sleep problems and improving sleep behavior in pregnancy could potentially reduce the risk and burden of GDM.

The Role of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Developing Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia

Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are the most frequent medical complications in pregnancy and major causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. It is also known that these conditions are associated with a long term increased cardiovascular global risk for these young women. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) seems to be not only a frequent pathology associated with pregnancy but also an independent factor for developing gestational hypertension. It is well known the relationship between gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction of the foetus so the outcomes of this pathologies are important for both mother and child. Increasing awareness of OSA among pregnant women with gestational hypertension and preeclampsia is important given the potential benefits of the treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on these patients.

Population-Based Study of Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy and Maternal and Infant Outcomes

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between sleep apnea and pregnancy outcomes in a large population-based cohort.

METHODS

Population-based cohort study using linked birth and hospital records was conducted in New South Wales, Australia. Participants were all women who gave birth from 2002 to 2012 (n = 636,227). Sleep apnea in the year before pregnancy or during pregnancy was identified from hospital records. Outcomes of interest were gestational diabetes, pregnancy hypertension, planned delivery, caesarean section, preterm birth, perinatal death, 5-minute Apgar score, admission to neonatal intensive care or special care nursery, and infant size for gestational age. Maternal outcomes were identified using a combination of hospital and birth records. Infant outcomes came from the birth record. Modified Poisson regression models were used to examine associations between sleep apnea and each outcome taking into account maternal age, country of birth, socioeconomic disadvantage, smoking, obesity, parity, pre-existing diabetes and hypertension.

RESULTS

Sleep apnea was significantly associated with pregnancy hypertension (adjusted RR 1.43; 95% CI 1.18-1.73), planned delivery (1.15; 1.07-1.23), preterm birth (1.50; 1.21-1.84), 5-minute Apgar < 7 (1.60; 1.07-2.38), admission to neonatal intensive care/special care nursery (1.26; 1.11-1.44), large-for-gestational-age infants (1.27; 1.04-1.55) but not with gestational diabetes (1.09; 0.82-1.46), caesarean section (1.06; 0.96-1.17), perinatal death (1.73; 0.92-3.25), or small-for-gestational-age infants (0.81; 0.61-1.08).

CONCLUSIONS

Sleep apnea is associated with higher rates of obstetric complications and intervention, as well as preterm delivery. Future research should examine if these are independent of obstetric history.

Maternal Snoring May Predict Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Cohort Study in China

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prevalence of snoring during pregnancy and its effects on key pregnancy outcomes.

METHODS

Pregnant women were consecutively recruited in their first trimester. Habitual snoring was screened by using a questionnaire in the 1st and 3rd trimester, respectively. According to the time of snoring, participants were divided into pregnancy onset snorers, chronic snorers and non-snorers. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between snoring and pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 3 079 pregnant women, 16.6% were habitual snorers, with 11.7% were pregnancy onset snorers and 4.9% were chronic snorers. After adjusting for potential confounders, chronic snorers were independently associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) (RR 1.66, 95%CI 1.09-2.53). Both pregnancy onset and chronic snorers were independently associated with placental adhesion (RR 1.96, 95%CI 1.17-3.27, and RR 2.33, 95%CI 1.22-4.46, respectively). Pregnancy onset snorers were at higher risk of caesarean delivery (RR 1.37, 95%CI 1.09-1.73) and having macrosomia (RR 1.54, 95%CI 1.05-2.27) and large for gestational age (LGA) (RR 1.71, 95%CI 1.31-2.24) infants. In addition, being overweight or obese before pregnancy plays an important role in mediating snoring and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal snoring may increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and being overweight or obese before pregnancy with snoring is remarkable for researchers. Further studies are still needed to confirm our results.