title: Prevalence of habitual snoring and sleep-disordered breathing in preschool-aged children in an Italian community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the prevalence of habitual snoring and sleep-disordered breathing in preschool-aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey with parental report and overnight ambulatory monitoring of children 3 to 6 years of age in 8 kindergartens (n = 604). Parents reported the child's information through an interviewer-based questionnaire or by a brief telephone interview. Snoring, oxygen saturation, body position, and heart rate were recorded for 1 night at home.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were obtained on 98.5% of 604 children (447 questionnaires, 74%; 148 telephone interviews, 24.5%); groups were similar for sex and age. Two hundred sixty-five children had ambulatory monitoring at home. Habitual snoring (always and often) was reported in 34.5% and breathing cessation in 18.6%. Habitual snoring was associated with parental report of daytime symptoms (P =.001) and daytime somnolence (P =.032). Pathologic snoring was present in 12% of children (95% CI, 7.9-16.1). On multivariate analysis, parental report of habitual snoring was the strongest determinant of pathologic snoring (OR, 12.23; 95% CI, 3.56-41.94). Oxygen desaturation index > or =5 per hour was found in 13% of children (95% CI, 8.7-17.3).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental report of habitual snoring is very common. Children with habitual snoring are more likely to have objectively measured snoring and daytime morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Disorders Center, IRCCS H San Raffaele, Milano, Italy. castronovo.vincenza@hsr.it
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Castronovo
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zucconi
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nosetti
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marazzini
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hensley
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Veglia
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nespoli
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferini-Strambi
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010092:Oximetry; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012913:Snoring / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*