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Prevalence of Diagnosed Sleep Disorders and Related Diagnostic and Surgical Procedures in Children with Autism

Marilisa G Elrod1, Cade M Nylund, Apryl L Susi

  • 1*Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Department, Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA; †Pediatric Department, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD; ‡Pediatric Otolaryngology Department, Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA; §Pediatric Department, Pediatric Subspecialty Services, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD.

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|March 17, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have nearly double the risk of sleep disorder diagnoses, including sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). They also face higher rates of diagnostic tests and surgeries for these conditions compared to neurotypical children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Sleep Medicine
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

  • Sleep disorders are prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), exacerbating cognitive and behavioral challenges.
  • Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a treatable condition linked to behavioral issues in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the risk of sleep disorder diagnoses, including SDB, in children with ASD versus controls.
  • To assess the relative risk of diagnostic and surgical procedures for sleep disorders in children with ASD.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective case-cohort study of 48,762 children with ASD (ages 2-18) within the military health system (2000-2013).
  • Matched 1:5 with children without ASD by birthdate, sex, and enrollment.
  • Analyzed ICD-9-CM and CPT codes for sleep disorders and related procedures; calculated relative risks (RR) using conditional Poisson regression.

Main Results:

  • Children with ASD showed a significantly higher risk for any sleep disorder diagnosis (RR: 1.97) and SDB (RR: 1.96).
  • Increased risk observed for polysomnography (RR: 3.74) and sleep disorder-related surgeries (RR: 1.50) in children with ASD.

Conclusions:

  • Children with ASD are at elevated risk for sleep disorders, including SDB.
  • They are more likely to undergo diagnostic evaluations and surgical interventions for sleep conditions compared to their peers without ASD.
Abstract

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