Maternal cardiorespiratory coupling: differences between pregnant and nonpregnant women are further amplified by sleep-stage stratification

Abstract

We compare CRC, i.e., the reciprocal interaction between the cardiac and respiratory systems, between healthy pregnant and nonpregnant women for the first time. Although CRC is present in both groups, CRC is reduced during healthy pregnancy; there is less synchronization between maternal cardiac and respiratory activity and a smaller response in maternal heart rate to respiratory inhalations and exhalations. Stratifying this analysis by sleep stages reveals that differences are most prominent during deep sleep.