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Sleep apnea in early childhood associated with preterm birth but not small for gestational age: a population-based

Camille H Raynes-Greenow1, Ruth M Hadfield, Peter A Cistulli

  • 1Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia. camille.raynesgreenow@sydney.edu.au

Sleep
|November 2, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children born preterm have a significantly higher risk of sleep apnea diagnosis. This large cohort study found no increased risk for children born small for gestational age, highlighting prematurity as a key factor in pediatric sleep-disordered breathing.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Neonatal Health
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Sleep apnea is a common condition in children.
  • Gestational age and birth weight are potential risk factors for childhood sleep apnea.
  • Understanding these associations is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between gestational age and weight for gestational age with sleep apnea diagnosis in children up to 6 years old.
  • To determine if preterm birth or being small for gestational age increases the risk of childhood sleep apnea.

Main Methods:

  • A large cohort study utilizing linked population health data from New South Wales, Australia.
  • Included 398,961 children born between 2000 and 2004, followed up to age 6.
  • Sleep apnea diagnosis was identified using ICD-10 code G47.3 from hospital records.

Main Results:

  • 1.0% of children (4,145) were diagnosed with sleep apnea.
  • Children born preterm (< 32 weeks) had a 2.74 times higher hazard ratio for sleep apnea diagnosis compared to term-born children.
  • Children born small for gestational age did not show an increased risk (hazard ratio 0.95).

Conclusions:

  • Preterm birth is significantly associated with a higher prevalence of sleep apnea diagnosis in children.
  • Being small for gestational age is not an independent risk factor for childhood sleep apnea.
  • Findings emphasize the importance of considering gestational age in assessing sleep-disordered breathing risk in pediatric populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
Premature infantapneacohort studyrecord linkage

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