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Published on: December 6, 2016
Sleep Symptoms and Polysomnographic Patterns of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Obese Children
Azita Tavasoli1, Shabnam Jalilolghadr2, Shiva Lotfi3
1Pediatric Neurology Department, Ali-Asghar Children's Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Obstructive sleep apnea is common in overweight and obese children, presenting with various sleep symptoms. Polysomnography is crucial for diagnosis, though obesity severity did not correlate with apnea severity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Sleep Medicine
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Obesity is a growing concern in children, associated with numerous health issues.
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious condition that can affect children's health and development.
- The relationship between obesity and OSA in pediatric populations requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of sleep symptoms and polysomnographic findings of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in overweight and obese children.
- To identify common sleep disturbances associated with OSA in this demographic.
- To evaluate the utility of polysomnography in diagnosing OSA in overweight and obese children.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 30 overweight and obese children (ages 6-18) referred to an Endocrinology Clinic was studied.
- Polysomnography was performed for OSA diagnosis.
- The BEARS and Children's Sleep Habits questionnaires were utilized to assess sleep behaviors.
Main Results:
- 90% of participants exhibited respiratory disturbances on polysomnography.
- Common symptoms included snoring (60%), frequent awakenings (56.6%), and nocturnal sweating (50%).
- A significant correlation was observed between body mass index (BMI) and sleep latency, but not between BMI and OSA severity.
Conclusions:
- Obstructive sleep apnea is highly prevalent in overweight and obese children.
- Physicians should recognize OSA symptoms and utilize polysomnography for diagnosis.
- The degree of obesity did not correlate with the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in this cohort.
Objective:
This study was conducted to investigate the sleep symptoms and polysomnographic patterns of obstructive sleep apnea in overweight and obese children.
Materials & Methods:
Overweight or obese children aging 6-18 yr old referred during 2010 to Endocrinology Clinic of Ghods Hospital in Ghazvin, central Iran were enrolled in the study. Polysomnography was done for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and the BEARS and Children's Sleep Habits questionnaires were used to survey sleep behaviors.
Results:
We enrolled 30 children (14 males, 16 females). Twenty-one cases had body mass index (BMI) >95% and 9 had 85%
Conclusion:
Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea is high among overweight and obese children. Physicians should be familiar with its manifestations and consider polysomnography as an invaluable diagnostic test. There was no relation between the degree of obesity and severity of obstructive sleep apnea.
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