Effects of race on upper airway dynamic function during sleep in children.

Study Objective: Studies in adults and children have shown that African American race is a risk factor for the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Therefore, we hypothesized that non-obese, non-snoring African American children would have a more collapsible upper airway during sleep than age-, gender-, and size-matched Caucasians.

Design: Upper airway dynamic function was measured during sleep in normal African American and Caucasian children.