Incidence of Sleep-disordered Breathing and Upper Airway Collapsibility in Postpartum Patients and Its Intervention

Incidence of Sleep-disordered Breathing and Upper Airway Collapsibility in Postpartum Patients and Its Intervention

The investigators hypothesized that sleeping in a 45 degrees elevated body position decreases the likelihood of upper airway vulnerability to collapse early after delivery. Furthermore, the investigators want to elucidate the anatomical and physiological risk factors that contribute in the upper airway obstruction in post-partum patients.

After obtaining study consent, each patient underwent measurements of upper airway cross-sectional area (CSA) during daytime within 48 h after delivery. The minimum upper airway CSA was measured using acoustic pharyngometry (Eccovision Acoustic Pharyngometry; Sleep Group Solutions, Inc) in sitting, 45° elevated, and nonelevated upper body position. This method has been previously used and validated in pregnant women.

In the patients who further gave consent for the sleep study, polysomnography (PSG) was performed throughout the entire study night. Within a crossover design, patients were randomly assigned to receive first either nonelevated or 45° elevated upper body position. Position was changed after 3.5 h by a member of the team.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Postpartum mothers within 48 hours of delivery in a major academic teaching hospital.
2. Age over 18 years.
3. Admitted to the Massachusetts General Hospital OB service for the delivery.
4. Interventions will be randomly assigned to the patients enrolled in this study

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Age under 18 years.
2. History of pre-existing pulmonary and cardiac diseases, including bronchial asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive lung disease, neck and chest tumors (thyroid, mediastinal, etc.), irradiation to the neck and/or chest, and congenital airway deformities, other critically-ill conditions.