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Behavioral changes in children with mild sleep-disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea after

Ron B Mitchell1, James Kelly

  • 1Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63104, USA. rmitch11@slu.edu

The Laryngoscope
|August 2, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Adenotonsillectomy improved behavior in children with mild sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Both conditions showed significant behavioral symptom reduction post-surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Otolaryngology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Behavioral problems are common in children diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
  • Adenotonsillectomy is a primary treatment for SDB and OSA in children.
  • The impact of adenotonsillectomy on behavior in children with mild SDB versus OSA requires further comparative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare behavioral changes following adenotonsillectomy in pediatric patients with mild SDB versus OSA.
  • To assess the efficacy of adenotonsillectomy in improving behavioral symptoms in these two groups.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study was conducted with children diagnosed with mild SDB or OSA.
  • Preoperative polysomnography was used to define mild SDB (AHI < 5 or AI < 1) and OSA (AHI ≥ 5 or AI ≥ 1).
  • Behavioral outcomes were assessed using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC) survey, comparing pre- and postoperative scores via repeated measures ANOVA.

Main Results:

  • Children with mild SDB (n=17) had a mean AHI of 3.1, while those with OSA (n=23) had a mean AHI of 25.3.
  • No significant differences in preoperative BASC scores or demographics were observed between the mild SDB and OSA groups.
  • Significant improvements in the behavior symptom index, atypicality, depression, hyperactivity, and somatization were noted post-surgery in both groups, with no significant differences between them.

Conclusions:

  • Behavioral issues are prevalent in children with both mild SDB and OSA.
  • Adenotonsillectomy leads to significant behavioral improvements in children across the spectrum of SDB severity, from mild cases to OSA.
  • The study supports adenotonsillectomy as an effective intervention for improving behavioral outcomes in children with SDB and OSA.
Abstract

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