Recent studies reveal that approximately one quarter of pregnant women may suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the recurrent cessation or limitation of normal breathing during sleep. In addition to being the cause of daytime fatigue, the consequences of untreated OSA include but are not limited to high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and heart disease.
In non-pregnant adults, protocols have been proposed for OSA screening, diagnosis and therapy, the mainstay being continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, in pregnant women OSA is usually untreated, since it is still underdiagnosed, and not fully appreciated as a risk factor for negative outcomes for mother and baby.
