THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SLEEP-RELATED BREATHING DISORDER IN CHILDREN

An epidemiological study of sleep obstruction and its orthodontic cons equences is under way on a cohort (500) of 4-year-old children. The pa rents are asked about the child's snoring, sleep apnea, sucking habits , infections and 'genetic clues'. Dental casts have been made from the first 100 children and the group of children who snore are being comp ared to the non-snorers. A sleep study, a lateral cephalogram and dent al casts are done on all snorers in the cohort. Preliminary results sh ow that 6.2% snore every night by age 4 and another 18% when infected. More children use pacifiers among the snorers than in the non-snoring group (60% vs. 35%). Tonsillar angina is 3 times more common in the s norer group and twice as many of their parents have been adenoidectomi zed (A) and/or tonsillectomized (T). The dental casts show a significa nt difference in width of the maxilla and length of the mandible. The children are treated for their breathing obstruction with A or A + T. Two years later, the same cohort will be examined again. The prevalenc e of snoring and sleep apnea among 4-year-olds will be known as will w hether and how treatment for breathing obstruction influences facial d evelopment.