title: Snoring, apneic episodes, and nocturnal hypoxemia among children 6 months to 6 years old. An epidemiologic study of lower limit of prevalence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify a lower limit of the prevalence of sleep-related breathing disturbances among preschool children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional epidemiologic study in two stages, first by questionnaires and second by whole-night investigation of children symptomatic of the sleep apnea syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gardabaer, a small town, 10 km south of Reykjavìk, Iceland.
  
  
  METHODS
  All children in Gardabaer, 6 months to 6 years old (n = 555).
  
  
  METHODS
  Symptom score estimated by questionnaire and respiratory events based on overnight oximetry, thermistors, and a static charge sensitive bed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 81.8%. Snoring was reported as often or very often among 14 (3.2%) and occasionally by 73 (16.7%). Apneic episodes were reported often or very often among seven (1.6%). Altogether 18 children were highly suspected of the sleep apnea syndrome because of habitual snoring or apneic episodes. The girls (n = 9) were older than the boys (mean age: 46 +/- 21 months vs 20 +/- 12 months, p < 0.001). Eventually 11 children came for a whole-night investigation and 8 of them showed more than three respiratory events per hour of sleep, associated with > or = 4% oxygen desaturation. The lower limit of the sleep apnea syndrome prevalence among these children was thus 2.9% (SE, 0.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among children, symptoms such as snoring and apneic episodes are reported relatively seldom, but a high proportion of the children with these symptoms have hypoxic respiratory events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Iceland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gislason
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benediktsdóttir
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012913:Snoring / Q000453:epidemiology*