Integrative traditional Chinese medicine treatment for children with obstructive sleep apnea

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Integrative Medicine
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent chronic condition in children, affecting 1%-6% of this population.
• Current treatment options for pediatric OSA include Western medicine and surgery, with varying efficacies and potential side effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and clinical characteristics of integrative Traditional Chinese Medicine (ITCM) in treating pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
• To compare the outcomes of ITCM with Western medicine (WM) and surgical interventions for pediatric OSA.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study included 508 children under 12 diagnosed with OSA between 2009 and 2020.
• Patients were categorized into ITCM, WM, and surgery cohorts, with outcomes assessed using polysomnography (PSG) parameters like apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and respiratory disturbance index (RDI), alongside body mass index (BMI).

Main Results:

• The ITCM cohort showed a significant reduction in AHI (9.59 to 5.71, p < 0.05).
• Significant increases in BMI were observed in the WM (19.46 to 20.50, p < 0.05) and surgery (18.04 to 18.85, p < 0.01) cohorts.
• ITCM treatment resulted in a significant decrease in RDI (-6.78) compared to the WM cohort (0.51, p < 0.05).
• Forsythia and Laminaria Combination and Ephedrae Herba were the most frequently prescribed TCM treatments in the ITCM follow-up cohort.

Conclusions:

• Integrative Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy demonstrates significant efficacy in reducing RDI and managing BMI in pediatric OSA patients.
• Specific TCM treatments, including Forsythia and Laminaria Combination and Ephedrae Herba, show promise for pediatric OSA management.
• Further research into the pharmacological mechanisms and clinical effectiveness of ITCM for pediatric OSA is recommended.