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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Published on: June 29, 2013
Hypertension, fetal growth restriction and obstructive sleep apnoea in pregnancy
T T Yin1, N Williams, C Burton
1Academic Division, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, City Campus, Nottingham University Hospitals, United Kingdom.
Objective:
To test the hypothesis that obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is more common in pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disease and fetal growth restriction.
Study Design:
An observational study comparing pregnant women with these two complications with normal pregnant women and non-pregnant women in two UK maternity hospitals. Each participant completed a sleep apnoea questionnaire and underwent nocturnal oxygen saturation monitoring.
Results:
Using a strict definition of obstructive sleep apnoea confirmed by oxygen saturation monitoring only two mild cases were seen, 0/50 non-pregnant women, 1/69 of normal pregnant women, 0/48 women with various types of hypertensive disease, and 1/33 women carrying fetuses affected with fetal growth restriction. Even using less strict definitions and self-reported sleepiness scores there was no relation between sleep apnoea and either fetal growth restriction or hypertensive diseases.
Conclusion:
Obstructive sleep apnoea is at most a rare cause of either growth restriction or hypertensive disease in pregnancy.
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