Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Pregnant Women with Chronic Hypertension: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to determine the incidence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in pregnant women with chronic hypertension. The secondary objectives were to define the risk factors and assess the maternal-foetal consequences in this population. Methods: This was a single-centre, retrospective study. The participants were pregnant women with chronic hypertension in the Department of Internal Medicine of Beijing Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, between January 2019 and November 2020. Overnight polysomnography (PSG) was performed to diagnose OSA. A total of 99 pregnant women with chronic hypertension who underwent PSG for the first time were included. We reviewed the medical records and collected baseline data, obstetrics, and neonatal information. IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Of the 99 women with chronic hypertension, 63 (63.6%) were diagnosed with OSA, including 41 with mild OSA, 14 with moderate OSA, and eight with severe OSA. Comparing the two groups of chronic hypertensive pregnant women with OSA and those without OSA, the OSA group had higher mean pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI, 30.68±5.19 vs 27.11±5.22, P=0.001), higher rate of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, 38.1% vs 13.9%, P=0.011), a higher induction rate (33.3% vs 11.1%, P=0.014), higher vaginal delivery rate (33.9% vs 13.3%, P=0.034), and a lower caesarean section rate (86.1% vs 66.7%, P=0.034). No significant differences were found in the other evaluated indicators. Conclusion: The incidence of OSA in pregnant women with chronic hypertension was high in this study. A higher pre-pregnancy BMI is a risk factor for OSA in this population. Pregnant women with chronic hypertension and OSA had a higher risk of developing GDM but a lower rate of caesarean section.