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The study aims to determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its association with neonatal outcomes in Japanese pregnant women.

June 29, 2026Sleep And Breathing0 citationsOpen Access

Association between obstructive sleep apnea and perinatal outcomes in a cohort of Japanese pregnant women: a prospective observational study

MMManaka MoroTokyo Medical and Dental University JHJun HosomichiTokyo Medical and Dental University TSTakumi SuzukiIbaraki University

Key Points

The study aims to determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its association with neonatal outcomes in Japanese pregnant women.
Included 185 pregnant women aged ≥ 20 years and their newborns
Used a portable monitoring device (WatchPAT) for sleep evaluations at ≥ 28 weeks
Classified OSA severity using apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and assessed neonatal growth at birth.
Prevalence of OSA (AHI ≥ 5) was 15.7%, with 23 mild, 5 moderate, and 1 severe case
Pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index were higher in the OSA group, but BMI change during pregnancy was lower
No significant differences in neonatal physical growth or gestational age at delivery between OSA and non-OSA groups.

Abstract

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common during pregnancy, and maternal intermittent hypoxemia has been suggested to affect fetal growth. However, diagnosis-based risk assessment and research in East Asian pregnant women remain insufficient. In this study, we aimed to clarify the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in Japanese pregnant women and to examine its association with neonatal outcomes. METHODS: We included 185 pregnant women aged ≥ 20 years and their newborns. A questionnaire was administered, and sleep evaluation was performed using a portable monitoring device (WatchPAT) at ≥ 28 weeks of gestation. OSA severity was classified, based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), as mild (5 ≤ AHI < 15), moderate (15 ≤ AHI < 30), and severe (AHI ≥ 30). Neonatal physical growth was evaluated at birth and compared between the OSA (AHI ≥ 5) and non-OSA groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of OSA (AHI ≥ 5) was 15.7%, comprising 23 mild (5 ≤ AHI < 15), 5 moderate (15 ≤ AHI < 30), and 1 severe (AHI ≥ 30) cases. Pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index (BMI) were significantly higher in the OSA group than in the non-OSA group, whereas the rate of BMI change during pregnancy was significantly lower. Regarding neonatal outcomes, no significant differences in physical growth or gestational age at delivery were observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into the phenotype of pregnancy-related OSA in a lean Japanese population, where OSA may develop at lower BMI levels than those reported in Western cohorts.

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