Sleep apnoea in the child

Abstract

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition causing repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep, leading to hypoxia and/or sleep disturbance. OSA affects 1-5% of children and has important implications for learning, behaviour and cardiovascular health.

Objective: The aim of this article is to provide a suggested approach to case finding and treatment of OSA for general practitioners.

Discussion: Snoring or noisy breathing during sleep is the cardinal symptom of OSA, and should be specifically sought in children with disturbed sleep, nasal obstruction and large tonsils. Multi-channel physiological recording in a paediatric sleep laboratory is available to formally define the condition. Treatment with adenotonsillectomy usually leads to improvements in key domains. Milder disease may respond to intranasal steroids or anti-inflammatory agents.