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(HealthDay)—Evidence from published observational studies suggests that maternal sleep-disordered breathing is associated with increased risk of gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes, according to research published in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics Gynecology.

Sushmita Pamidi, M.D., of McGill University in Montreal, and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis of selected studies to assess the association between sleep-disordered breathing and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational hypertension/preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and low-birth-weight infants.

The researchers found 31 studies that met the defined criteria; 21 studies, all observational, reported dichotomous outcomes, and nine of these studies adjusted for potential confounding variables. Maternal sleep-disordered breathing was significantly associated with increased risk of gestational hypertension/preeclampsia (pooled adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.34; five studies) and gestational diabetes (pooled aOR, 1.86; five studies).

“Based on published observational studies to date, maternal sleep-disordered breathing is associated with an increased risk of gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes after adjusting for potential confounders,” the authors write. “However, large-scale, prospective cohort, and interventional studies are needed to further elucidate the relationship between maternal sleep-disordered breathing and adverse pregnancy outcomes.”

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