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Sleep apnea and Down's syndrome

Ake Dahlqvist1, Eva Rask, Carl-Johan Rosenqvist

  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital of Umeå, Umeå, Sweden. ake.dahlqvist@vll.se

Acta Oto-Laryngologica
|January 9, 2004
PubMed

Insights

This study found no link between obstructive sleep apnea and Down syndrome in children. While snoring and enlarged tonsils were common, sleep apnea was not more prevalent in children with Down syndrome compared to controls.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Genetics and Developmental Disorders

Background:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is frequently reported in children with Down syndrome (DS).
  • Previous studies were case series of patients referred for suspected sleep apnea, potentially overestimating prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea in a population-based controlled study.
  • To determine if sleep apnea is more common in children with DS compared to their siblings.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based study included children aged 2-10 years with Down syndrome and their siblings as controls.
  • Overnight sleep apnea recordings and echocardiography were performed on participants.

Main Results:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea was not diagnosed in any children with Down syndrome or controls.
  • The apnea-hypopnea index did not differ between groups.
  • Snoring and tonsil hypertrophy were more common in children with Down syndrome, who also had shorter sleep times and more frequent position changes.

Conclusions:

  • Snoring, restless sleep, and tonsil hypertrophy are common in children with Down syndrome.
  • This population-based controlled study found no increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea related to Down syndrome.
Abstract

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