Breathing problems during pregnancy may be linked to more serious ailments – diabetes and high blood pressure.
A new study of more than 3,000 women found that sleep apnea during pregnancy led to higher chances of women developing the two conditions. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep. It’s a treatable yet serious condition.
Results from the study show that women with sleep apnea were twice as likely to develop preeclampsia, a type high blood pressure seen in pregnant women, and up t 3.5 times more likely to develop gestational diabetes, according to Reuters.
Between six and 15 weeks, according to the study, 3.6 percent of the 3,000-plus women studied had apnea. After weight gain, between 22 and 31 weeks, 8.3 percent of the women had apnea.
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This led to 6 percent of the women having preeclampsia, 13 percent having other pregnancy hypertensive issues and 4 percent having gestational diabetes.
The report can be found in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
