Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy: A Narrative Review

Surekha Tayade1, Shikha Toshniwal1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University), Wardha, IND.

Cureus
|November 21, 2022
PubMed

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that remains underdiagnosed in pregnancy and can cause severe maternal and fetal complications. The prevalence of OSA in pregnancy had a wide variation and increases with increasing gestation. At-risk women are those with increased body mass index (BMI), increasing age, and chronic hypertension. Screening can be done by polysomnography but as it is expensive and necessitate overnight hospital stay, makes it even harder to diagnose and leads to delay in treatment. Once diagnosed, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold standard treatment. Early diagnosis and effective treatment can considerably improve the outcome. This review aims to discuss the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of OSA in pregnancy.

Related Concept Videos

Sleep Apnea01:21

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing stops intermittently during sleep, often leading to significant health issues. Each episode can last from 10 to 20 seconds or more and is frequently accompanied by a brief arousal from sleep. This disturbance, largely unnoticed by the individual, can lead to severe daytime fatigue. Commonly, individuals seek help after being informed by their partners about loud snoring and noticeable breathing pauses during sleep.
The condition is more prevalent among...
208
Upper Respiratory Drugs: Antitussives, Expectorants, and Mucolytics01:23

Upper Respiratory Drugs: Antitussives, Expectorants, and Mucolytics

Respiratory symptoms, such as congestion and cough, commonly accompany respiratory tract conditions. Various medications, such as antitussives, expectorants, and mucolytics, play crucial roles in providing relief.
Antitussives include codeine, dextromethorphan (Robitussin), and benzonatate (Tessalon). Codeine and dextromethorphan exert their effects centrally by suppressing the cough reflex center in the medulla.  Benzonatate operates peripherally within the respiratory tract by...
385
Mitral Valve Prolapse III: Nursing Management01:19

Mitral Valve Prolapse III: Nursing Management

The nursing management of Mitral Valve Prolapse, or MVP, centers around patient education, symptom monitoring, and lifestyle modifications.Patient Education on MVP Diagnosis and Heredity: Nurses should provide comprehensive education about MVP, a condition where the mitral valve does not close appropriately during heartbeats. This education often includes the condition's pathophysiology, symptoms, and potential complications, like arrhythmias or mitral regurgitation. Though not fully...
28
Sleep-Wake Cycles01:24

Sleep-Wake Cycles

Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and  rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
1.5K