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Generation of High Quality Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA Template for High-throughput Sequencing (ChIP-seq)
Published on: April 19, 2013
[Epidemiology. Risk factors and genetic influence]
Gonzalo Pin Arboledas1, Amalia Lluch Roselló, Magdalena Cubel Alarcó
1Unidad Valenciana del Sueño, Hospital Quirón, Valencia, España. gpa@comv.es
Insights
Habitual snoring affects over 7% of children, with 10% developing sleep apnea. Obesity significantly increases this risk, highlighting the need for routine screening in affected children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Respiratory Medicine
Context:
- Epidemiological data on sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children are limited.
- Habitual snoring prevalence is 7.45% in children.
- Obesity and comorbidities increase SDB risk.
Purpose:
- To summarize current epidemiological data on SDB in children.
- To highlight the association between snoring, sleep apnea, and risk factors like obesity.
- To emphasize the need for routine SDB screening in at-risk pediatric populations.
Summary:
- Habitual snoring affects 7.45% of children; 10% of these develop sleep apnea.
- Prevalence estimates for childhood sleep apnea vary (1-4% objectively, 4-11% by parent questionnaire).
- Obesity is a major risk factor, with prevalence of sleep apnea in obese children ranging from 4.69% to 6.6%.
Impact:
- Routine screening for SDB is recommended for obese children, even without suggestive symptoms.
- Genetic factors play a significant role (35-40% variance) in SDB, suggesting future research directions.
- Improved understanding of SDB prevalence and risk factors can lead to earlier diagnosis and intervention in children.
Abstract:
Epidemiological studies of sleep-disordered breathing in broad population samples are scarce. Nevertheless, currently available data indicate that habitual snoring is present in 7.45 % (95 % CI: 5.75-9.61) of the child population. Approximately 10 % of habitual snorers develop sleep apnea. However, in children with associated comorbidity (obesity, asthma…) or clinical symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, the association between snoring and sleep apnea is significantly increased. The prevalence of sleep apnea according to parents' or guardians' observation of apnea episodes is 0.2-4 %. When the diagnosis is based on questionnaires administered directly to parents, the prevalence increases to 4-11 %. If diagnosis is made by objective means, the prevalence ranges from 1-4 %. Obesity is currently a major risk factor. In obese children, the prevalence of sleep apnea oscillates between 4.69 % and 6.6 % and consequently screening of sleep-disordered breathing in obese patients with or without suggestive symptoms should be routine. Genetic factors strongly influence sleep-disordered breathing and seem to account for 35-40 % of the variance in this disorder, although their precise role has yet to be clarified. Genetic study opens up an important gateway in the future medical approach to sleep-disordered breathing.
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