Is snoring during pregnancy a predictor of later life obstructive sleep apnoea? A case-control study

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) appears common in pregnancy. Complications of pregnancy such as gestational diabetes and hypertension predispose women to cardiometabolic disease in later life. It is unknown if snoring during pregnancy is a risk marker for later-life OSA.

We analysed data from N = 897 women in the Sleep Apnea Global Interdisciplinary Consortium (SAGIC), which recruited patients attending sleep clinics at 11 sites. There were 577 cases with current OSA and 320 controls. Cases were further categorised into mild, moderate, and severe OSA based on apnoea-hypopnoea index. Retrospective self-report of snoring during pregnancy was the exposure of interest and was reported by 2.9% of cases and 3.4% of controls.

Multinomial regression demonstrated that snoring during a previous pregnancy was not significantly associated with mild (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.09-1.25, p = 0.10), moderate (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.21-2.19, p = 0.52), or severe OSA (OR 1.86, 95% CI 0.77-4.48, p = 0.17) compared to no snoring during pregnancy. Results were unchanged after adjustment for age, body mass index, and ethnicity. 79% of women reported current snoring but all who snored during pregnancy reported current snoring.

Women who snore during pregnancy continue snoring in later-life but do not appear more likely to develop OSA. These findings are limited by self-reported data, recall bias, and small numbers of women who reported snoring during pregnancy. A prospective study with objective measurement of sleep and snoring during pregnancy is needed to examine the links between sleep disorders in pregnancy with health in later life.