Parental concern as an indicator of the severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in children.

Introduction: An accepted screening question for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in children is "Does your child snore". However, this has no correlation to severity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a simple 2-item questionnaire that reflects the degree of parental concern to predict the severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in children as measured by Polysomnography (PSG).

Adenoidectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children.

Study Objective: Adenotonsillectomy is the recommended treatment for children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Since adenoidectomy alone may be associated with significantly lower morbidity, mortality, and cost, we aimed to investigate whether adenoidectomy alone is a reasonable and appropriate treatment for children with OSA.

Methods: Five-hundred fifteen consecutive children diagnosed with moderate-to-severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index > 5) based on polysomnography and who underwent adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy were reevaluated after 17-73 months (mean 41) for residual or recurrent OSA using a validated questionnaire (Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire, PSQ).

The history of primary snoring in children: the effect of adenotonsillectomy.

Unlabelled: Primary snoring (PS) is considered as the most benign form of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and treatment is usually not prescribed. Studies suggest that PS may not be as benign as had formerly been considered. We aimed to investigate the natural history of PS in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy, and compare those who underwent adenotonsillectomy (AT) with those who did not.

Nasal nitric oxide in sleep-disordered breathing in children.

Background: Inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis and consequences of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). The nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses produce high levels of nitric oxide (NO). In asthma, exhaled NO is a marker of airway inflammation.

Oxidative stress in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Study Objectives: Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cardiovascular consequences, including accelerated atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. Increased lipid peroxidation, a marker of oxidative stress, has been identified in adults with OSA in a severity-dependent manner, with attenuation following treatment with continuous positive airway pressure therapy. Studies on oxidative stress in children with OSA are sparse and results are inconclusive.

The effect of seasonality on sleep-disordered breathing severity in children.

Objective: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a common disorder associated with substantial morbidity that occurs in otherwise healthy children. Atopy, asthma, and viral upper respiratory tract infections are known risk factors for pediatric SDB that exhibit seasonal variability. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of seasonality on SDB severity in children and adolescents referred for polysomnographic evaluation for suspected SDB and to examine the effect of atopy/asthma on this variability.

Maternal cognitions and depression in childhood behavioral insomnia and feeding disturbances.

Objectives: To investigate (1) maternal cognitions regarding infant's sleep and feeding and maternal depression among mothers of children with behavioral insomnia, feeding disturbances and healthy controls, and (2) the association between maternal cognitions about sleep and those about feeding.

Methods: Children 6-36 months of age with either behavioral insomnia or feeding disorders were recruited. Children 6-36 months of age who attended the well-baby clinics were recruited and served as controls.

Maternal snoring during pregnancy is not associated with fetal growth restriction.

Unlabelled: A small number of studies have, thus far, evaluated the association between maternal snoring and fetal growth revealing conflicting results. No study has compared fetal growth between women with habitual snoring who snored before pregnancy and women with habitual snoring that started to snore during pregnancy.

Objectives: To examine the effect of maternal snoring on fetal outcome and to investigate the differences between "chronic snorers" and "new-onset snorers".

Maternal snoring during pregnancy is associated with enhanced fetal erythropoiesis--a preliminary study.

Objective And Background: Snoring is common among pregnant women and early reports suggest that it may bear a risk to the fetus. Increased fetal erythropoiesis manifested by elevated circulating nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) has been found in complicated pregnancies involving fetal hypoxia. Both erythropoietin (EPO) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) mediate elevation of circulating nRBCs.

Sleep disturbances in children recovered from central nervous system neoplasms.

Objectives: To identify the prevalence of long-term sleep disturbances in children successfully treated for central nervous system tumors by use of subjective and objective tools.

Study Design: Children diagnosed and treated for central nervous system tumors and age-matched control subjects were studied. Information on demographics, tumor type, location, and therapies were collected.

Coexistence of sleep and feeding disturbances in young children.

Objective: Behavioral insomnia and feeding difficulties are 2 prevalent conditions in healthy young children. Despite similarities in nature, etiology, prevalence, and age distribution, the association between these 2 common disorders in young children has not been examined thus far.

Patients And Methods: Children aged 6 to 36 months with either behavioral insomnia or feeding disorders were recruited.

Increased risk of snoring and adenotonsillectomy in children referred for tympanostomy tube insertion.

Objective: Eustachian tube dysfunction and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) share common pathophysiologic mechanisms. Our objective was to investigate whether children referred for isolated TTI (tympanostomy tube insertion) are at increased risk for snoring and upper airway procedures.

Methods: Telephone interviews to parents of children who underwent isolated TTI and to age- and gender-matched controls were conducted.

[Kleine-Levin syndrome].

KLeine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia associated with cognitive and behavioral disturbances, compulsive eating behavior and hypersexuality. Episodes are separated by weeks or months of normal sleep and behavior. The disease predominantly affects adolescent males.

The yield of esophageal pH monitoring during polysomnography in infants with sleep-disordered breathing.

This study evaluates the yield of adding simultaneous esophageal pH monitoring to polysomnography (PSG) in 41 infants with unexplained sleep disordered breathing. The relationships of respiratory events to episodes of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) were analyzed. The major causes for referring the infants were cyanotic episodes (22%), apneas (20%), and choking events (15%).

Normal polysomnographic respiratory values in children and adolescents.

Study Objectives: Polysomnography is important in the evaluation of children and adolescents with sleep-disordered breathing. Adult criteria for obstructive sleep apnea have been shown to be inapplicable to children. Nevertheless, very little data are available regarding normal respiratory parameters during sleep in healthy children and adolescents.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy in infants.

Objective: Adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) is the leading cause for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children. The peak age for adenoid and tonsillar hypertrophy and related OSAS is 3-6 years. It has been suggested that OSAS due to ATH is extremely rare in infants.