Sleep Apnea and Pregnancy

Sleep Review reports on the adverse effects of sleep apnea during pregnancy:


A study presented last month at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference in San Francisco found that even when controlling for obesity, sleep apnea in the mother increased the risk that diabetes and/or hypertension would develop during the pregnancy.



When the women’s weight was taken into account, sleep apnea was associated with a doubling of the incidence of gestational diabetes and a fourfold increase in the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, which includes eclampsia and preeclampsia.

rest of sleep review quote deleted at their request

Treating sleep apnea has reduced the risk of diabetes and hypertension in non-pregnant women, so now research is needed to confirm if this is also true for pregnant women.


There are few studies examining sleep apnea during pregnancy. This study was a large database review; it is very difficult to do a clinical trial involving pregnant women. It would be interesting to perform a controlled trial to see if CPAP improves pregnancy outcomes in women with sleep apnea, but such a trial would never be approved by an IRB board.