Guideline on Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Pregnancy Released by ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½
July 23, 2026
GLENVIEW, IL – The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½® (ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½) recently released a new . Published in the journal ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½®, the guideline contains nine evidence-based recommendations that provide a trustworthy model for how best to care for pregnant patients with OSA.
OSA is increasingly recognized as being associated with significant morbidity in pregnancy, yet there is minimal guidance available on how best to screen, diagnose, treat, and reevaluate for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in pregnant patients. This ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ guideline was developed to address the need for more specific guidance.
“What I want most from this guideline is to put sleep-disordered breathing on the radar for pregnant patients and their providers,” said Carolyn D’Ambrosio, MD, FCCP, lead author on the guideline. “All too often, symptoms during pregnancy are dismissed as frivolous or temporary, but the reality is that disordered breathing can have serious consequences both to the parent and the fetus. The guideline also serves as a reminder that not everything goes away postpartum.”
According to the guideline, measures of SDB have been associated with adverse fetal growth outcomes, a higher risk of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit at birth, a longer hospital stay, congenital anomalies, and preterm birth.
Due to limited available evidence, all nine conditional recommendations are noted with very low level of certainty of evidence. Of the nine recommendations, highlights include:
- In pregnant individuals, we suggest screening for SDB.
- In pregnant individuals diagnosed with OSA during pregnancy, we suggest that treatment be based on an AHI 5-15 with symptoms/sequelae or comorbidity (HTN, stroke, obesity, etc.) or AHI > 15 alone.
- In postpartum individuals previously diagnosed with OSA during pregnancy, we suggest reassessment for SDB.
The entire list of recommendations included in the new guideline can be accessed through the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€¯journal website in the article titled,
About the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½
The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½®â€¯(ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½) is the global leader in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases. Its mission is to champion advanced clinical practice, education, communication, and research in chest medicine. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 18,000+ members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. For information about the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and its family of journals, including the flagship journal ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½®, visit chestnet.org.