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Evaluation of Sleep Difficulties in Egyptian Children with Down Syndrome: A Case-Control Study

Mohammed Mamdouh Sayed-Ahmed1, Mohamed Badie Taher1, Rehab Abdel Hafeez Zaytoun2

  • 1Clinical Genetics Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.

Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery : Official Publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India
|March 5, 2024
PubMed

Insights

This study developed and validated an Arabic questionnaire to assess sleep difficulties in children with Down syndrome. The validated tool effectively identifies significant sleep problems in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Sleep disturbances are prevalent in children with Down syndrome, impacting cognitive and behavioral development.
  • Common issues include obstructive sleep apnea, delayed sleep onset, and frequent awakenings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate sleep-related difficulties in young children with Down syndrome.
  • To translate and validate an Arabic questionnaire for assessing these sleep issues.

Main Methods:

  • A sleep difficulties questionnaire was translated and validated into Arabic.
  • Caregivers of 45 Down syndrome children and 48 typically developing children completed the questionnaire.
  • The questionnaire assessed snoring, breathing, sleep position, awakenings, and daytime behavior.

Main Results:

  • The questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and validity.
  • Significant differences in sleep-related difficulties were found between Down syndrome children and controls.
  • The questionnaire showed high sensitivity (100%) and good specificity (70.8%) for detecting sleep problems.

Conclusions:

  • The validated Arabic questionnaire possesses good psychometric properties.
  • It is an effective tool for detecting significant sleep problems in children with Down syndrome.
  • This tool can aid in better management of sleep issues in this population.

Keywords:
Down syndrome childrenSleep related difficulties questionnaireSnoringbreathing difficulties

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