DefinePK

Abstract

Chronic hypoxia induced by periods of hypo-oxygenation in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can be associated with reduced foetal growth in pregnancy. Obesity, hormonal and physiological changes during pregnancy plus variations in the craniofacial anatomy could increase the incidence of snoring and possibly OSA. In spite of the high incidence of obesity noted in Malaysia, especially in females, there have been no studies so far conducted to study the prevalence of OSA during pregnancy in this population. Thus, we sought to determine the prevalence of snoring and those who are at high risk for OSA among pregnant women in Malaysia.