Airway problems in children of deaf parents: two case reports

Airway problems in children usually present with audible symptoms, making t hem potentially unrecognizable when both parents are deaf. Other hearing ob servers may not be available to appreciate audible symptoms and polysomnogr aphy is inappropriate as a screening tool. We present two cases that highli ght the need for additional vigilance and a greater index of suspicion for the presence of significant upper airway obstruction in dealing with the ch ildren of hearing-impaired parents. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.