Sleep-related breathing disorders in children

Sleep-related breathing disorders in children are common. Nearly 10% of pre school-aged children snore, and 1% of 4- to 5-year-old children present wit h an obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), mostly due to an adenotonsill ar hyperplasia. OSAS in children differs markedly from adults concerning et iology, clinical symptoms, polysomnographic findings, and course of the dis ease. Therefore, results of adult sleep medicine cannot easily be applied t o children. The disease may result in pulmonary or systemic hypertension, f ailure to thrive, and neurocognitive misbehavior. Up to now, there is no co nsensus concerning diagnosis and therapy. In this article, we summarize and discuss what is known so far about sleep-related breathing disorders in ch ildren,focussing on the OSAS as the most important diagnosis for the ENT sp ecialist.