T. Pieters et al., NORMAL-PREGNANCY IN PRIMARY ALVEOLAR HYPOVENTILATION TREATED WITH NOCTURNAL NASAL INTERMITTENT POSITIVE PRESSURE VENTILATION, The European respiratory journal, 8(8), 1995, pp. 1424-1427
Nocturnal nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) is
increasingly used to treat chronic respiratory failure in a wide varie
ty of conditions (myopathies, Ondine's curse, kyphoscoliosis, etc.) an
d allows a normal everyday life. Some of these diseases affect women o
f childbearing age. We report on a young woman suffering from primary
alveolar hypoventilation, who presented with limitation of daytime act
ivities, severe oxygen desaturation during sleep, polycythaemia and pu
lmonary hypertension. These abnormalities completely reversed after a
few months of NIPPV applied through a nasal mask. Whilst under ventila
tory assistance during sleep, she had an uneventful pregnancy and deli
very of a normal baby. We suggest that in selected patients requiring
NIPPV, pregnancy can be contemplated with a reasonable level of safety
both for the mother and the child, provided that adequate mechanical
ventilatory assistance during sleep is maintained throughout pregnancy
.