418 The Berlin Questionnaire in Pregnancy Predominantly Identifies Obesity

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in pregnant women and is a risk factor for poor perinatal outcomes. The Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) is a validated OSA screening tool that is often used in pregnancy. However, it performs poorly in this population, likely attributed to the scoring paradigm that primarily identifies obesity. Moreover, the associations between the BQ and pregnancy outcomes are often those same outcomes that are obesity-related. Therefore, this study examined associations between each of the three BQ domains, independently and jointly, in relation to gestational diabetes (GDM) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Methods Pregnant third-trimester women aged at least 18 years with a single fetus were recruited from a tertiary medical center. All women completed the BQ, which includes three domains: snoring; sleepiness; and obesity/high blood pressure (BMI/BP). The latter domain was further examined as two separate sub-domains: obesity or chronic hypertension. A positive response in 2-of-3 domains identifies high OSA risk. Medical records were accessed for diagnoses of GDM and HDP. Results Of 1,588 women, 44% had a positive BQ. Women with positive domains of snoring exclusively, sleepiness exclusively, or their combination did not have an increased risk of GDM or HDP. However, women without snoring or sleepiness, but with a positive score on the BMI/BP domain had increased odds of GDM (OR 2.0, 95%CI 1.3–3.3) and HDP (OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.6–5.5). Any positive score in domain combinations that included BMI/BP had increased odds of GDM and HDP compared with negative scores in all domains. A positive score in BMI/BP-alone, BMI/BP-and-sleepiness, BMI/BP-and-snoring, and an intersection of all three domains, had increased HDP odds compared with controls: OR 2.9 (95%CI 1.6–5.5), OR 2.2 (95%CI 1.1–4.4), OR 2.9 (95%CI 1.5–5.7), and OR 4.6 (95%CI 2.6–8.6), respectively. Women absent of positive BMI/BP domain but with a positive score in the other two domains (or their combination) had similar odds of GDM and HDP as controls. Conclusion The poor performance of the BQ in screening for OSA risk in pregnant women may be attributed to its predominant reliance on identification of obesity. Support (if any) NIH NHLBIHL089918