The Berlin Questionnaire for assessment of sleep disordered breathing risk in parturients and non-pregnant women.
BACKGROUND
Pregnancy is associated with alteration in sleep patterns and quality. We wished to investigate whether pregnant women have a higher likelihood of a positive Berlin Questionnaire than non-pregnant women.


METHODS
Pregnant women ages 18-45 years (n=4074) presenting for delivery, and non-pregnant women ages 18-45 years (n=490) presenting for outpatient surgery provided demographic information and completed the Berlin Questionnaire evaluating self-reported snoring and daytime sleepiness. For the pregnant patients, the infant's birth weight and Apgar scores were also recorded.


RESULTS
Of the 1439 patients with a positive Berlin Questionnaire, 96 were in the non-pregnant control population versus 1343 in the pregnant population (20% vs. 33%, respectively, P<0.001; odds ratio 2.0 [95% CI: 1.6-2.5]). There was a positive correlation between infant weight and a positive Berlin Questionnaire. The incidence of preeclampsia was greater (odds ratio 3.9) in the pregnant patients with a positive Berlin Questionnaire as compared with the parturients with a negative Berlin Questionnaire (odds ratio 1.1).


CONCLUSIONS
Parturients are more likely to have a positive Berlin Questionnaire than non-pregnant women. This may indicate an increased likelihood of sleep disordered breathing.
Department of Anesthesiology and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
N
N
Higgins
E
E
Leong
C S
CS
Park
F L
FL
Facco
R J
RJ
McCarthy
C A
CA
Wong
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D001604:Berlin; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012913:Snoring / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult