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Obstructive sleep apnea in children
Author(s) -
Tripuraneni Manasa,
Paruthi Shalini,
Armbrecht Eric S.,
Mitchell Ron B.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.23844
Subject(s) - medicine , obstructive sleep apnea , polysomnography , obesity , quality of life (healthcare) , body mass index , apnea , physical therapy , pediatrics , nursing
Objectives/Hypothesis To study the correlation between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), obesity, behavior, and quality of life. Study Design Case‐control study of pediatric OSA documented by polysomnography at a tertiary‐care hospital. Methods Caregivers signed a consent document and completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC‐2) and the 18‐item OSA Quality‐of‐Life Survey (OSA‐18) questionnaires. Demographic and polysomnographic data were collected. Children were classified as obese with OSA, normal weight with OSA, or primary snoring ([PS] normal weight, sleep‐disordered breathing, no OSA). The correlation between OSA severity and the degree of obesity as well as behavior and quality of life were compared among the three groups. A P value ≤.05 was considered significant. Results Seventy‐three patients were included in the study. Thirty‐five children were obese with OSA (48%), 21 were of normal weight with OSA (29%), and 17 were considered PS (23%). There was no linear correlation between the degree of obesity and OSA severity. Apnea/hypopnea index was significantly higher for OSA‐obese versus OSA‐normal weight children (20.0 vs. 9.0, P = .02). The OSA‐18 total score and BASC‐2 mean score was worse for the OSA‐obese than the OSA‐normal group ( P = .01 for both). There was no difference in quality‐of‐life scores or behavioral scores between the OSA‐normal and PS groups. Conclusions The degree of obesity does not linearly predict OSA severity in children. Obese children have worse OSA, behavioral problems, and quality of life than normal‐weight children. In normal‐weight children with OSA or PS, behavior and quality‐of‐life scores are similar regardless of the severity of the sleep disorder. Level of Evidence 3b.