“Although we found an association with sleep disordered breathing preceding the development of both pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders and gestational diabetes, we cannot conclude that universal screening for, and treatment of sleep disordered breathing in pregnancy would reduce the risks of these adverse outcomes,” said lead researcher and author Dr. Francesca Facco, of the University of Pittsburgh’s Magee-Women’s Hospital.
Facco told Reuters that there isn’t conclusive evidence that treating apnea can reduce the risk of pregnancy-related hypertension or diabetes.
“We do not know if treating sleep-disordered breathing in pregnancy will improve clinical outcomes in pregnancy, and our study cannot answer that question,” Facco said.
Other factors that could play a role in developing certain disease during pregnancy are initial weight entering pregnancy and weight gain over the course of the pregnancy, experts say. Sleep apnea is commonly associated with obesity.