Long-term development of children monitored as infants for an apparent life-threatening event during sleep: a 10-year follow-up study
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A Kahn1, M Sottiaux, J Appelboom-Fondu
1Pediatric Sleep and Development Unit, University Children's Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
Insights
Children monitored at home after an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE) showed normal development by preadolescence. Further adolescent follow-up is recommended to assess long-term school performance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Apparent life-threatening events (ALTEs) in infants can cause parental anxiety and concerns about long-term outcomes.
- Previous preliminary studies indicated minor behavioral difficulties in children following ALTEs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes of children who experienced an apparent life-threatening event during sleep.
- To compare the development of these children with matched control groups.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal follow-up of 26 children previously studied after an ALTE.
- Assessment at a mean age of 7 years using clinical behavioral evaluations, psychodevelopmental tests, and IQ tests.
- Comparison with sex-, age-, and social class-matched control children.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in clinical daytime/nighttime behavior or IQ between the ALTE group and controls at age 7.
- Some psychodevelopmental tests revealed minor signs of anxiety in the ALTE group.
- Earlier reported aggressive behavior was tentatively linked to parental anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Infants experiencing an apparent life-threatening event and undergoing home cardiopulmonary monitoring demonstrate normal development into preadolescence.
- Continued monitoring and evaluation during adolescence are necessary to fully assess school performance and long-term outcomes.
Abstract:
The outcomes of 26 children who had an apparent life-threatening event during sleep and who were monitored at home were evaluated. In a preliminary study that was first reported when the children had a mean age of 2.7 years, only minor behavioral difficulties were seen. The children of this earlier study were characterized by more aggressive behavior, which was tentatively related to parental anxiety. The same children were retested at a mean age of 7 years (range 6 to 10 years), together with sex-, age-, and social class-matched control children. No significant differences were found in their clinical daytime and nighttime behavior or in IQ tests, although in some of the psychodevelopmental tests minor signs of anxiety were revealed. In conclusion, infants with an apparent life-threatening event who underwent continued cardiopulmonary home monitoring develop normally during preadolescence. A prolonged follow-up of the children during adolescence is needed to evaluate later school performance.