A controlled study of sleep related disordered breathing in obese children

Y K Wing1, S H Hui, W M Pak

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Prince of Wales and Shatin Hospital, Shatin, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. ykwing@cuhk.edu.hk

Insights

Obese children face a higher risk of obstructive sleep-related disordered breathing (SDB). Enlarged tonsils and higher BMI significantly increase this risk, necessitating prompt management.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Obesity Research
  • Otolaryngology

Background:

  • The link between obesity and sleep-related disordered breathing (SDB) in children remains unclear, unlike in adults.
  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern, potentially impacting respiratory health during sleep.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if obese children have a greater risk of obstructive SDB compared to normal-weight children.
  • To investigate if pharyngeal lymphoid tissue enlargement exacerbates the risk of SDB in obese children.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 46 obese and 44 normal-weight children, matched for age and sex.
  • Participants underwent physical examinations, including upper airway assessment, and polysomnography (sleep studies).

Main Results:

  • Obese children exhibited a higher prevalence and severity of SDB, predominantly obstructive in nature.
  • SDB in obese children was associated with tonsil size (OR 12.67) and Body Mass Index (BMI) (OR 1.20).
  • Prevalence of SDB in obese children ranged from 26% to 32.6%, versus 2.3%-4.5% in controls.

Conclusions:

  • Obese children are at an elevated risk for developing obstructive SDB.
  • Aggressive management of pharyngeal lymphoid tissue enlargement is recommended for obese children at risk of SDB.
Abstract