Prevalence, Severity, and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children with Down Syndrome in Qatar

Patients with Down syndrome (DS) are at risk for sleep disorder breathing (SDB) due to their abnormal craniofacial anatomy, hypotonia, and propensity for obesity. The prevalence and severity of SDB in this population vary between different cohorts due to the multifactorial nature of these patients and the different diagnostic criteria used. We aim to report the prevalence and severity of SDB in the DS population in Qatar.

This study is a retrospective review of all patients with genetically confirmed DS who completed a diagnostic polysomnography (PSG) study at Sidra Medicine in Doha, Qatar, which is the only pediatric sleep center in the country, between September 2019 and July 2022. Clinical and PSG data were collected from the patients' electronic medical records. Central and obstructive events were scored according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) criteria. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis was made based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and defined as AHI >1.5 events/hour. OSA was considered mild if AHI was ≥ 1.5 but < 5, moderate if AHI was ≥ 5 but < 10, and severe if AHI was ≥ 10 events/hour. Diagnosis with central apnea was considered if the central apnea index was > 5 events/hour. Hypoventilation was considered present if end-tidal/transcutaneous carbon dioxide gas was more than 50 mmHg for more than 25% of total sleep time. Multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate predictors of high AHI and rapid eye movement (REM)-AHI.

A total of 80 patients (49 males and 31 females) were included. Median (range) age was 7.3 years (0.9, 21). The mean (range) BMI z-score was 1.7 (-1.3, 4.3). Sixty-five patients were diagnosed with OSA, with a prevalence rate of 81%. OSA was mild in 25 (38.5%) patients, moderate in 15 (23.1%) patients, and severe in 25 (38.5%) patients. Only one patient was diagnosed with central apnea and five patients (6.9%) with alveolar hypoventilation. Multiple regression analysis showed BMI (P = 0.007) and snoring/apnea symptoms (P=0.023) to be predictive of high AHI. No correlation was found between the same variables and REM-AHI. Treatments used for OSA included anti-inflammatory medications in 37 (46%) patients, tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy in 13 (16.5%) patients, and positive airway pressure support in 10 (15%) patients.

Our patient population with DS had a high prevalence of OSA comparable to other reported cohorts. High BMI and symptoms of snoring are predictive of OSA.