Funding outcome

Sleep disordered breathing (snoring or gaps in breathing at night; SDB) presents differently in women compared to men. While the number of complete stops in breathing is often used to determine who has SDB, the partial blockage of airflow through the upper airway may be a better measure of SDB in pregnant women. However, we often try to use screening tools developed for men in female populations, including women who are pregnant. SDB is serious and has been associated with dangerous high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and preterm delivery. SDB may also damage the cardiovascular system (the heart and blood vessels). Currently, SDB is not regularly screened for or treated during pregnancy despite up to 25% of women experience SDB in pregnancy. While treatment for SDB is relatively cheap, testing everyone for SDB would be expensive. In this study, we propose to measure risk factors and SDB in pregnant women at two time points: during the second trimester and the third trimester of pregnancy. We will measure risk factors using questionnaires and a physical assessment, and we will measure SDB with the same at home sleep test used by Alberta Health Services. Participants will come to the lab for one non-invasive test of their cardiovascular function (how well their heart and blood vessels work). We will collect maternal and infant outcomes from the delivery. Then, we will compare the maternal and infant outcomes, including maternal cardiovascular health, to the mother's SDB. In the future, these results will help us build a screening tool to identify women at risk of SDB so that they can receive timely treatment which will improve the health of both moms and babies.