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Sleep disorders in children

Ann C Halbower1, Carole L Marcus

  • 1Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. ahalbowe@jhmi.edu

Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine
|October 10, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric sleep disorders are common, with varying presentations by age. Early identification and management are crucial, though long-term outcomes require further research.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Sleep Disorders

Background:

  • Childhood sleep disorders are a frequent reason for pediatric consultations.
  • Prevalence varies, with infant sleep rhythm issues affecting 46% of new mothers, childhood obstructive sleep apnea at 2%, and adolescent insomnia being significant.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent literature on pediatric sleep disorders.
  • To highlight age-specific presentations and impacts of sleep disorders in children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of pediatric sleep disorders.
  • Analysis of studies published between May 1, 2002, and April 30, 2003.

Main Results:

  • Sleep disorder presentation and consequences are age-dependent.
  • Sleep-disordered breathing can be fatal in infants; narcolepsy symptoms may be masked until adolescence, leading to misdiagnosis.

Conclusions:

  • Long-term outcome studies for pediatric sleep disorders are lacking but are an area of growing research interest.
  • Understanding age-specific sleep disorder characteristics is vital for appropriate clinical management.
Abstract

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