Abstract
Accumulating data indicate that obstructive sleep apnea is an independent risk for gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm delivery. Preliminary studies demonstrated the benefits of early nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in high risk pregnant women to prevent adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Highrisk pregnant women such as those with obesity, chronic hypertension and prior history of preeclamsia should be evaluated for diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing given the potential benefit of early CPAP treatment. The pathophysiological evidence linking preeclampsia and sleep-disordered breathing supported the rationale for CPAP treatment in addition to conventional antenatal care. However, currently there is no standard guideline that systematically screens and treats for sleep-disordered breathing during pregnancy. The situation of sleep-disordered breathing is in the state of “clinical equipoise”, where strong evidence is needed to make any treatment recommendation during pregnancy. It is an urgent need to conduct a randomized controlled trial that can demonstrate the efficacy of CPAP treatment.
