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Sleep-disordered breathing and behavior in three risk groups: preliminary findings from parental reports

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Abstract

Sleep-related breathing disorders may cause excessive daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment, and behavior problems in children and adolescents. Adenotonsillar enlargement (AT) is known to be a significant risk factor for these disorders, which have also been reported in several patients with Down syndrome (DS). Children with attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity (ADD) show behavior problems that may be related to disturbed nocturnal sleep in some. To evaluate the relationships among these disorders and symptoms, parents of 29 school-aged children with AT, 70 with DS and 48 of their siblings (DS-SIB), and 21 with ADD completed a 20-item screening questionnaire covering nocturnal sleep symptoms and daytime behavior problems. Nocturnal symptoms of sleep-related breathing disorders — snoring, breathing pauses during sleep — were reported more commonly by parents of AT and DS children. However, parents of two of the ADD children reported significant signs of sleep-related breathing disorders. Daytime behavior problems were more common in ADD and AT than in the DS group. Bedwetting reports did not distinguish groups. Direct comparisons of DS and DS-SIB groups showed that more DS were mouth breathers, snored, stopped breathing at night, and were sleepy in the daytime. These findings underscore the importance of obtaining a history of nocturnal sleep from parents of children with AT and DS, as well as those with disrupted daytime behavior.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep Research Laboratory, E. P. Bradley Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine, 02903, Providence, RI, USA

    Mary A. Carskadon

  2. Child Development Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine, 593 Eddy Street, 02903, Providence, RI, USA

    Siegfried M. Pueschel

  3. Pulmonary Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine, 02903, Providence, RI, USA

    Richard P. Millman

Authors
  1. Mary A. Carskadon
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  2. Siegfried M. Pueschel
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  3. Richard P. Millman
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Carskadon, M.A., Pueschel, S.M. & Millman, R.P. Sleep-disordered breathing and behavior in three risk groups: preliminary findings from parental reports. Child's Nerv Syst 9, 452–457 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393547

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393547

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