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[Childhood obesity and sleep-related breathing disorders]

Eduard Esteller-Moré1, Laura Castells-Vilella, Francesc Segarra-Isern

  • 1Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital General de Catalunya, San Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, España. eesteller@gmail.com

Acta Otorrinolaringologica Espanola
|December 27, 2011
PubMed

Insights

This study found no significant link between childhood sleep-disordered breathing and higher obesity rates in the studied Mediterranean population. Obesity did not appear to influence the clinical presentation of sleep breathing disorders in these children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Pediatric Obesity

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is rising, increasing risks for sleep-disordered breathing.
  • Sleep-disordered breathing may worsen existing comorbidities in obese children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine obesity rates in children with sleep-disordered breathing.
  • To identify clinical and epidemiological differences in children with and without overweight, focusing on sleep-disordered breathing.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 340 children aged 2-10 years.
  • 170 children with sleep-disordered breathing (study group) and 170 healthy controls.
  • Apnea-hypopnea index averaged 7.61 ± 6.3 in the study group.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant differences in overweight (BMI percentile ≥85) or obesity (BMI ≥95) rates between study and control groups.
  • Overweight children (25.9%) within the sleep-disordered breathing group showed no significant differences in clinical or epidemiological variables compared to non-overweight children (74.1%).

Conclusions:

  • The studied population did not show higher obesity rates in children with sleep breathing disorders.
  • Obesity did not appear to clinically influence the presentation of sleep breathing disorders in this cohort.
  • Results may be population-specific; continued vigilance for obesity's impact on respiratory health is advised.
Abstract

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