Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Pregnancy - More Questions than Answers

The role of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in pregnancy is not well studied, but an increasing body of literature appears to indicate that there may be adverse maternal and foetal health effects of the disease. OSA is associated with a twofold risk of pre-eclampsia. The small size of the existing investigations still leave unanswered questions about the consequences of OSA as it relates to some other clinically relevant outcomes such as eclampsia, stillbirth and maternal mortality. A consistent body of literature has emerged demonstrating an increased risk of insulin resistance and diabetes associated with OSA. However, among pregnant women, the association appears to be related to short sleep duration. Well-designed and adequately powered studies are needed to further delineate the role of OSA and sleep duration on pregnancy outcome and the mechanisms of those effects.