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27th January 2006 Pregnant women more likely to snore Women are twice as likely to snore when they are in the final stages of pregnancy according to a new study. An Edinburgh University team studied 100 pregnant women and compared results with 100 non-pregnant women. They found that 17 of the non-pregnant women snored compared with 41 expectant mums. The study published in the European Respiratory Journal, found that the airways in the pregnant women tended to be narrower because of weight gain and pressure on the lungs and trachea caused by the distended abdomen. During pregnancy the growing baby pushes the mother's abdomen causing pressure on the diaphragm and lungs, which in turn increases pressure to the trachea. The study also found that the women who snored had a bigger neck circumference by almost a centimetre. Lead researcher Professor Neil Douglas, an expert in Respiratory Medicine and Sleep, said, "Fat can infiltrate the pharyngeal muscles or be deposited in the soft tissue of the neck and around the upper airways, which can increase neck size and narrow the airways." The team also noted that narrowing of the airways in pregnancy also caused a rise in blood pressure, which is also linked with pre-eclampsia and sais that that pregnant snorers were at greater risk of the condition. Professor Douglas said, "Some people with excessive snoring during pregnancy may have a blood pressure problem and they should mention that they are snoring very badly to their midwife or doctor."
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