Abstract Introduction Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is frequently underdiagnosed during pregnancy, and published data remain scarce, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Early identification of OSA using accessible sleep study modalities may improve maternal outcomes in resource-limited settings such as Peru. The main objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of OSA among hospitalized high-risk pregnant women using respiratory polygraphy (RP; Type III sleep study) Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study including overweight pregnant women ≥18 years with a high-risk pregnancy profile. All enrolled participants underwent overnight RP using the ApneaLink Air™ system. Collected data included demographic and clinical variables, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores, and OSA-related symptoms. Results A total of 13 pregnant patients were evaluated. The Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) had a mean value of 3.12 ± 1.61, while the number of hypopneas averaged 20.6 ± 11.6. The Oxygen Desaturation Index (DOI) showed a mean of 5.7 ± 3.08, and three patients (23%) were diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Additionally, 1 patient (7.7%) had preeclampsia, and 5 patients (38.5%) had gestational diabetes. The average maternal age was 35 ± 3.63 years, and the mean gestational age was 33.4 ± 3.97 weeks. Participants had a mean height of 154 ± 5.42 cm, and the mean BMI was 35.3 ± 2.93, consistent with class II obesity. The mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score was 8.77 ± 4.76, with 5 of 13 patients (38%) demonstrating excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS 10), while the remainder reported normal daytime alertness. Conclusion This ongoing study provides early evidence of a burden of OSA among high-risk pregnant women in a middle-income setting. Continued enrollment and analysis will help clarify the clinical significance of OSA in this population and guide the development of feasible screening strategies Support (if any)
Lavanda et al. (Fri,) studied this question.