Sleep Apnea Linked With Problem Behavior in Children
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 29 - Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), ranging from snoring to obstructive sleep apnea, is associated with a higher prevalence of behavioral problems in children, researchers report in the December issue of Pediatrics.
"Although many studies have reported increased behavioral problems in clinical samples of children referred for suspected SDB, those studies could be biased by an over-referral of children with behavioral problems," lead investigator Dr. Carol L. Rosen told Reuters Health.
To avoid this potential problem, Dr. Rosen and colleagues at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey involving 829 children ages 8 to 11 years old.
SDB was defined either by parental-reported habitual snoring or by objective measures of sleep apnea obtained by overnight monitoring. Two well-validated scales were used to obtain parental ratings of behavior.
Overall 5% of children were classified as having sleep apnea, 15% had snoring without sleep apnea and the remaining 80% had neither condition.
Children with SDB were significantly more likely to show a higher prevalence of problems, including emotional lability, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior and social problems.
"Finding this relationship in a non-clinical, non-referred community-based sample of children strengthens the relationship between SDB and behavioral problems," Dr. Rosen noted.
However, she concluded, "well-controlled studies looking at the reversibility of behavioral problems with treatment of SDB are needed to answer the question of causality."
Pediatrics 2004;114:1640-1648.
Reprinted with Permission
