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Incidence of sleep disorders in children with presumed normal variant short stature
Author(s) -
Campbell Thomas A,
Papadopoulos Verge Dimitri J, Charles F,
Williamson Bruce D,
Teng Arthur
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2005.00631.x
Subject(s) - medicine , short stature , polysomnography , pediatrics , incidence (geometry) , sleep (system call) , idiopathic short stature , el niño , apnea , growth hormone , physics , computer science , hormone , optics , operating system
Objective: To determine whether unrecognized obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is present in some children diagnosed with normal variant short stature. Methods: One hundred and fifty‐eight children aged less than 15 years and previously diagnosed with familial short stature or constitutional delay of growth were identified from the endocrine clinic database. A validated, standardized questionnaire designed to screen for symptoms of sleep disorders in children was mailed to the parents of eligible children. Results: Fifty‐three questionnaires were returned. Fifteen of these had an abnormal score (greater than the mean + three standard deviations in 1157 normal control children). Of these, 10 agreed to a sleep study. Overnight polysomnography showed no evidence of OSA or other sleep/breathing disorders. However, five (half) children showed frequent periodic leg movements of 6.3, 9.2, 9.4, 10.2 and 15.4 per h (adult normal <5 per h). Conclusions: We did not find OSA among a group of children with normal variant short stature. However, we found frequent periodic limb movements during sleep in a large proportion of the subjects, the significance of which remains to be determined.