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Obstructive sleep apnea and history of asthma in snoring children

Maya Ramagopal1, Steven M Scharf, Darryl W Roberts

  • 1Division of Pulmonary Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. ramagoma@umdnj.edu

Sleep & Breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
|April 19, 2008
PubMed

Insights

In snoring children, asthma does not increase the risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Surprisingly, a parent

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Asthma is a potential risk factor for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in children.
  • The relationship between parent-reported asthma and OSA diagnosis in snoring children requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if parent-reported asthma increases the likelihood of OSA diagnosis in snoring children.
  • To investigate the association between asthma and polysomnographically diagnosed OSA in a pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of polysomnogram (PSG) and questionnaire data from 236 children referred for snoring evaluation.
  • Analysis included logistic regression to control for confounding factors.
  • Demographic data, BMI percentile, and asthma history were collected.

Main Results:

  • No increased risk of OSA was found in children with asthma.
  • Parent-reported asthma was associated with a 34% decreased likelihood of OSA (p = 0.027), after controlling for covariates.
  • Minor differences in arousal index and total sleep time were observed between asthmatic and non-asthmatic children.

Conclusions:

  • Asymptomatic asthma in children referred for snoring does not increase the likelihood of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
  • Parental reporting of asthma in this cohort was unexpectedly linked to a reduced likelihood of OSA diagnosis.
  • Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between asthma, sleep, and OSA in pediatric populations.

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