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Long Sleep Duration Is Associated with Fetal Brain Parameter Extreme Values: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Dan Lv1, Shi-Yao Chen1, Xu-Fang Li1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Current Medical Science
|June 24, 2025
Summary
Longer sleep durations in pregnant women, especially during the second trimester, may negatively affect fetal growth. This includes reduced fetal head circumference and biparietal diameter, crucial brain parameters.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Sleep Medicine
- Fetal Development
Background:
- Sleep is vital for maternal and fetal well-being.
- Previous research often links sleep issues to pregnancy complications.
- The impact of sleep duration on fetal growth requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between maternal sleep duration and fetal growth from 23 weeks gestation to birth.
- To identify potential impacts of sleep duration on fetal biometric measurements.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of 803 pregnant women.
- Recording of self-reported maternal nocturnal sleep duration across three trimesters.
- Assessment of fetal biometric measurements using Z-scores from ultrasonography.
Main Results:
- A negative association was found between second-trimester sleep duration and fetal head circumference (HC) and biparietal diameter (BPD).
- Long second-trimester sleep duration was significantly linked to lower BPD (below 10th percentile).
- Longitudinal analysis confirmed these associations for BPD and HC.
Conclusions:
- Maternal sleep duration shows a negative association with fetal biometric measurements.
- Extended sleep duration in the second trimester may adversely affect fetal growth, particularly brain development parameters (BPD, HC).
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