Guideline Video

Guideline Resources

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in Pregnancy
  • American College of Chest Physicians
  • July 21, 2026
  • Summary
  • Full-text

Video Transcription

Just published July 21st, 2026, the American College of Chest Physicians’ newest guideline on Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy.

This guideline addresses guidance for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow up of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in pregnant patients.

In today’s rapid update, we’ll just be going over a summary of key recommendations so for the full guideline, make sure to check it out on guidelinecentral.com

Let’s get started. 

  • In pregnant individuals on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for OSA prior to pregnancy, the guideline suggests auto-titrating positive airway pressure (APAP) be used rather than continued CPAP.
  • In pregnant individuals, the guideline suggests screening for sleep disordered breathing.
  • In pregnant individuals being screened for sleep disordered breathing, the guideline suggests screening using either a pregnancy-specific tool or a standard screening tool.
  • In pregnant individuals undergoing evaluation for OSA, the guideline suggests either at-home diagnostic devices or lab-based diagnostics be used.
  • In pregnant individuals diagnosed with OSA during pregnancy, the guideline suggests that treatment be offered to those with an AHI 5-15 when accompanied by symptoms sequelae or comorbidities / additional risk factors. For AHI > 15PAP therapy is recommended regardless of symptoms or comorbidities.
  • In pregnant individuals diagnosed with OSA during pregnancy for whom treatment is recommended, the guideline suggests that any form of positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment be used rather than no treatment.
  • In pregnant individuals diagnosed with OSA during pregnancy for whom treatment is recommended, the guideline suggests using PAP therapy rather than alternatives to PAP therapy.
  • In pregnant individuals currently on PAP therapy for OSA diagnosed during pregnancy and with residual sleepiness, the guideline suggests using scheduled naps whenever possible, and only using stimulants on an as-needed basis after failure of scheduled naps.
  • In post-partum individuals previously diagnosed with OSA during pregnancy, the guideline suggests reassessment for sleep disordered breathing.

And there you have it. Make sure to check out the full guideline from the American College of Chest Physicians and other related clinical decision support tools at guidelinecentral.com.

Sign up for alerts and stay informed on the latest published articles and guidelines.