This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 200206-590OCv1 167/2/137    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Izci, B. Articles by Douglas, N. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Izci, B. Articles by Douglas, N. J.

The Upper Airway in Pregnancy and Pre-Eclampsia

Edinburgh Sleep Centre and Department of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Professor Neil J. Douglas, M.D., Department of Medicine, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, EH3 9YW, Scotland, U.K. E-mail: n.j.douglas{at}ed.ac.uk

Snoring is common in pregnancy, and snoring pregnant women have increased rates of pre-eclampsia. Patients with pre-eclampsia show upper airway narrowing during sleep. The present study aimed to compare upper airway dimensions in pregnant and nonpregnant women and in patients with pre-eclampsia. A total of 50 women in the third trimester of pregnancy and 37 women with pre-eclampsia were recruited consecutively from the antenatal service and matched with 50 nonpregnant women. Upper airway dimensions were measured using acoustic reflection. Comparisons were made by analysis of variance and Student-Newman-Keuls tests. Snoring was reported by 14% of nonpregnant women, 28% of pregnant women, and 75% of pre-eclamptic women (p < 0.001). When seated, pregnant women had wider upper airways than nonpregnant women (p < 0.02), but there was no difference when supine. Oropharyngeal junction area in the seated position was less (p < 0.01) in the women with pre-eclampsia (mean ± SD: 0.9 ± 0.1 cm²) than either nonpregnant (1.1 ± 0.1 cm²) or pregnant women (1.3 ± 0.1 cm²). Supine oropharyngeal junction area was less in the women with pre-eclampsia than in the nonpregnant women (0.8 ± 0.1 versus 1.0 ± 0.1 cm²; p = 0.01) but similar in women with pre-eclampsia and pregnant women (0.9 ± 0.1 cm²; p > 0.3). The study showed that women with pre-eclampsia have upper airway narrowing in both upright and supine postures. These changes could contribute to the upper airway resistance episodes during sleep in patients with pre-eclampsia, which may further increase their blood pressure.

Key Words: snoring • pre-eclampsia • sleep

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Bourjeily Sleep disorders in pregnancy Obstet Med, September 1, 2009; 2(3): 100 - 106. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Champagne, K. Schwartzman, L. Opatrny, P. Barriga, L. Morin, A. Mallozzi, A. Benjamin, and R. J. Kimoff Obstructive sleep apnoea and its association with gestational hypertension Eur. Respir. J., March 1, 2009; 33(3): 559 - 565. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Beecroft, V. Hoffstein, A. Pierratos, C. T. Chan, P. A. McFarlane, and P. J. Hanly Pharyngeal narrowing in end-stage renal disease: implications for obstructive sleep apnoea Eur. Respir. J., November 1, 2007; 30(5): 965 - 971. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Izci, M. Vennelle, W. A. Liston, K. C. Dundas, A. A. Calder, and N. J. Douglas Sleep-disordered breathing and upper airway size in pregnancy and post-partum Eur. Respir. J., February 1, 2006; 27(2): 321 - 327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Yinon, L. Lowenstein, S. Suraya, R. Beloosesky, O. Zmora, A. Malhotra, and G. Pillar Pre-eclampsia is associated with sleep-disordered breathing and endothelial dysfunction Eur. Respir. J., February 1, 2006; 27(2): 328 - 333. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J. Tobin Sleep-Disordered Breathing, Control of Breathing, Respiratory Muscles, Pulmonary Function Testing in AJRCCM 2003 Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., January 15, 2004; 169(2): 254 - 264. [Full Text] [PDF]