Sleep disordered breathing in children

Abstract

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children has been recognized over the past two decades due to research and clinical advances in pediatric sleep medicine. Pediatric SDB comprises of central apnoea/hypoventilation, apnoea of prematuriry, the spectrum of obstructive sleep hypoventilation disorders and hypoventilation during sleep due to chronic pulmonary disease. Obstructive sleep hypoventilation syndromes have a clinical range from primary snoring, through upper airway resistance syndrome to obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Though, the exact prevalence of SDB and obstructive sleep hypoventilation syndrome is not known, the prevalence of OSAS in children varies between 1–4%. Pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric SDB which differs from adult SDB is reviewed along with its recent advances.