Sleep disorder clinic for pregnant women opens in Fengxian
Shanghai International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital's Fengxian District branch opened the city's first sleep disorder clinic for pregnant women on Tuesday, the World Sleep Day.
The average sleep time in China is 7.37 hours per day, with approximately 25.9 percent sleeping less than seven hours per day. Because of their unique physical and mental conditions, pregnant women are more vulnerable to sleep disorders.
Officials at the hospital said that the new clinic uses professional evaluation tools and sleep-monitoring equipment to help pregnant women sleep better and get more rest.
A 35-year-old woman, surnamed Cui, visited the clinic after suffering from poor-quality sleep.
Cui, who is in her 29th week of pregnancy, is expecting her second child. She was anxious after learning of the unexpected pregnancy, and she was concerned about her job, child care and family issues.
"My husband and I are both very busy, and our first child is only 5 years old. Our parents' health is deteriorating. I'm concerned about our ability to care for the new baby," said Cui.
A pregnant woman consults about sleep issues at the new clinic.
According to Dr Wang Yanlin, vice president of the hospital, sleep disorders can not only have an impact on pregnant women's health and foetal growth, but can also cause anxiety, depression and mental stress, raising the risk of complications.
"Previously, we focused on the physical changes and problems of pregnant women. The physical and psychological effects on pregnant women have become the trend of obstetric research with the development and perfection of health theory and technical improvement."
She said that the hospital is in charge of a national study on China's birth cohort study. Since 2017, nearly 10,000 pregnant women have been recruited for the study.
"We discovered that sleep problems and mental health during pregnancy are closely related to pregnancy outcomes. Overseas research has also confirmed that sleep quality during pregnancy is linked to premature birth, miscarriage, complications and low birth weight in newborns," Wang said.
Doctors encouraged pregnant women to see them if they were experiencing sleep or mental problems, saying that some pregnant women who ignore these issues or are embarrassed to go to the hospital can delay clinical intervention and miss the best time for treatment.
