Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Disrupted sleep is common during pregnancy and has been thought to be involved in the development of pregnancy complications. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB snoring or pauses in breathing at night) affects one in four pregnant women by the third trimester. This condition causes individuals to wake frequently during the night, decreases sleep quality, and can lead to low oxygen levels during sleep. SDP during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure (preeclampsia, gestational hypertension), developing diabetes and preterm delivery. In non-pregnant populations SDB also damages the cardiovascular system (the heart and blood vessels). Yet, SDB is not regularly screened for or treated during pregnancy, and the effect of having SDB on cardiovascular health during pregnancy is poorly understood. The proposed research will evaluate the association between SDB, with cardiovascular health (stiffness and function of the blood vessels) and pregnancy outcomes. We will recruit 109 pregnant women between 28-36 weeks gestation with equal representation across all weight categories. Participants will use a home sleep test for one night to measure the severity of their SDB. The next day, they will come to our research center for a 90 minute visit to assess the health of their blood vessels (stiffness, structure, function). We will also obtain important information about their health history, habitual physical activity and sleep patterns using questionnaires. Following delivery, we will collect pregnancy, labour and delivery outcomes and complications from hospital records. The results of this study will provide important new information on the effects of SDB on cardiovascular health during pregnancy and will be critical to guiding future research to better treat this condition. We believe that our research will lead to better screening and treatment of SDB by shining a light on the connection between SDB and health outcomes in pregnancy.