Changes in Symptoms of Sleep-Disordered Breathing During Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Although incident snoring is common in pregnant women and has been proposed as a potential risk factor for adverse maternal-fetal outcomes, the development of sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy has not been prospectively described. METHODS: Using the Apnea Symptom Score from the Multivariable Apnea Prediction Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, we prospectively assessed symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing and daytime somnolence in 155 women to determine whether symptoms increased during pregnancy and the characteristics associated with increasing symptoms. RESULTS: We found that sleep-disordered breathing symptoms (Apnea Symptom Score, 0.44 (SEM 0.58) vs 0.95 (0.09, P 10) was prevalent throughout pregnancy (31.0%-45.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing increase during pregnancy and that more than 10% of our subjects may be at risk for developing sleep apnea during pregnancy. Excessive daytime somnolence was highly prevalent even early in pregnancy and became increasingly common as pregnancy progressed.