Gestational Diabetes Risk May Be Higher Earlier in Pregnancy for Women with Sleep-Disordered Breathing

By Jonathan Springston, Editor, Relias Media

For some women, the risk of gestational diabetes might be higher much earlier in pregnancy than once believed, according to the recently published results of a small study.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, investigators monitored the sleeping patterns of 192 pregnant women with a body mass index ≥ 27 kg/m² and singleton pregnancies. Participants were monitored between week 11 and week 15 of their pregnancies. Researchers watched key indicators, such as blood oxygen levels, fasting blood sugar levels, sleeping patterns, and insulin resistance.

Patients with sleep-disordered breathing (i.e., frequent snoring, obstructive sleep apnea) showed declines in blood oxygen levels. The more often this happened, the more likely these patients were to record elevated blood sugar levels and exhibit insulin resistance.

Taken together, these circumstances can lead to gestational diabetes. Clinicians understand this well, but the surprise in this paper was the high risk so early in pregnancy; usually, gestational diabetes risk increases in later stages of pregnancy. Although other larger studies are needed, these authors suggested some women could benefit from early screening for sleep disorders to help lower this risk.

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