Grant: Project Grant

Sleep disruption increases throughout the course of pregnancy and has recently been shown to be involved in pregnancy complications. In particular, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) occurs in ~30% of pregnant women by the third trimester. SDB consists of snoring and breathing pauses during sleep, leading to fragmented or disrupted sleep and decreases in oxygen levels during sleep. SDB during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and delivering infants with low birth weight. However, studies are needed to determine if SDB in pregnancy has any adverse long-term effects on child health. The proposed research project will evaluate the association between SDB during pregnancy on a variety of child health outcomes, including cardiometabolic health (obesity, diabetes risk, high blood pressure), behavioural problems, and SDB risk in the child. An existing pregnancy cohort (~2,500 women) with completed assessments of SDB during the third trimester of pregnancy will be used. We will invite participants from Montreal and Québec City who are part of this cohort to have their children (at age 8-10 years old) to complete one follow-up study visit for assessments of child health outcomes. Measurements for obesity, blood pressure and insulin resistance will be taken. Children will also be assessed for disturbances in breathing, which often remain undiagnosed. Sleep studies in the laboratory will be performed in children in order to monitor oxygen levels and episodes where breathing is stopped (i.e., apneas). The results of this study may have important implications for identifying and treating SDB in pregnancy in order to ultimately improve the health and development of affected children.