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Prevalence of obstructive sleep disturbance in children with failure to thrive

Rebecca S Stone1, Jeffrey H Spiegel

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery = Le Journal D'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie Et De Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale
|September 23, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Occult obstructive sleep disturbance (OSD) was studied in children with failure to thrive (FTT). While OSD prevalence was higher in FTT patients, it did not reach statistical significance compared to the general pediatric population.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Failure to thrive (FTT) is a critical condition in children characterized by inadequate growth.
  • Occult obstructive sleep disturbance (OSD) is a potential, yet under-investigated, cause of FTT.
  • Understanding the prevalence of OSD in FTT is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of OSD in children diagnosed with FTT.
  • To explore the correlation between OSD, tonsil size, and parental-reported symptoms.
  • To compare OSD prevalence in FTT patients with general pediatric norms.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 36 FTT children (12-60 months) at Boston Medical Center.
  • Evaluations included formal polysomnography, parental questionnaires, and physical examinations.
  • Results were compared against established age-appropriate norms for sleep disorders.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of OSD in the studied FTT population was 5.5%.
  • This prevalence is higher than the general pediatric population (0.7%–4.3%) but did not achieve statistical significance.
  • No significant correlation was found to establish OSD as a primary cause for FTT in this cohort.

Conclusions:

  • The study did not find a statistically significant increase in OSD prevalence among children with FTT.
  • Despite non-significant findings, maintaining clinical suspicion for OSD in FTT cases is essential.
  • The observed growth improvements after sleep disturbance management (e.g., tonsillectomy) in FTT children are not fully explained by a higher incidence of OSD.
Abstract

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