Obstructive sleep apnea in younger school children with Down syndrome

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Sleep Medicine
• Genetics and Developmental Disorders
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects cognitive development and school performance in children.
• Prevalence estimates for OSA in children with Down syndrome (DS) vary widely, ranging from 30-80%.
• Early identification of OSA is critical for improving health outcomes in children with DS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in 8-year-old school children with Down syndrome (DS).
• To assess the severity of OSA in this population using polysomnography (PSG).

Main Methods:

• A population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in a defined geographical area.
• Polysomnography (PSG) with video and audio recordings was performed on 29 eight-year-old children with DS.
• The study included a significant proportion of the Norwegian population of 8-year-old children with DS born in 2002.

Main Results:

• An apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) > 1.5 was found in 28 of 29 children.
• An obstructive apnea index (OAI) > 1 was observed in 24 of 29 children.
• Moderate to severe OSA (AHI > 5 or OAI > 5) was diagnosed in 66% and 59% of children, respectively. No correlation with obesity or gender was found.

Conclusions:

• The high prevalence of undiagnosed OSA in 8-year-old children with DS highlights the need for routine OSA screening throughout childhood.
• OSA prevalence remains high in early school years for children with DS.
• This population-based study, using the gold standard PSG in a narrow age band, provides reliable prevalence estimates for OSA in children with DS.