Self-reported Snoring in Pregnancy

Association With Fetal Outcome

¹ From the Pulmonary Service, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
² From the Division of Sleep Disorders, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, Calif
³ From the Pulmonary and Obstetrics Services, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Tex.

Objectives: To determine the incidence of self-reported snoring in pregnant compared with nonpregnant women. To compare indicators of fetal outcome in pregnant women with self-reported frequent snoring vs those without snoring.

Study design: Prospective, nonrandomized screening and comparison between groups.

Patients: Three hundred fifty pregnant women and 110 age-matched nonpregnant women.

Methods: Survey evaluating self-reported snoring. For the pregnant women, infant birthweight, APGAR scores, and other indicators of fetal outcome were obtained by record review.

Results: Frequent snoring was reported in 14% of the pregnant women vs 4% of the nonpregnant women (²=6.2; df=1; p<0.05). The pregnant women who reported frequent snoring did not have deliveries resulting in infants with evidence of an increase in compromised outcomes.

Conclusions: Frequent snoring is reported more often in pregnant than in nonpregnant women. Snoring mothers do not appear to be at increased risk for delivering infants with fetal compromise as might be expected with the concomitant occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea.

Key Words: fetal outcome • obstructive sleep apnea • pregnancy • snoring • women

Submitted on April 11, 1995
Accepted on November 3, 2007

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