title: [Pediatricians and sleep-disordered breathing in the child].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of opinions and practices of pediatricians concerning sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomly 516 pediatricians were selected in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. A survey mailed to them included questions regarding: their professional profile, knowledge about SDB in childhood, opinions and practices for diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  112 anonymous completed surveys were returned (21.7%). The teaching of SDB during medical school and pediatric residency raining was considered unsatisfactory respectively by 65.2% and 34.8% of the pediatricians. Forty-nine respondents (43.8%) rated their knowledge about SDB in children as regular, 39 (34.8%) as good and 17 (15.2%) as unsatisfactory. The most important sleep-related questions were: mouth breathing, breathing pauses, sleep amount, excessive daytime sleepiness and nocturnal wheezing. Clinical aspects regarded as the most significant for suspecting obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) were: breathing pauses, adenoid hypertrophy, mouth breathing, craniofacial anomaly and snoring. The most frequent practices for evaluation of OSAS in children were: cavum radiography with referral to an otorhinolaryngologist (25%) and nocturnal pulse oximetry (14.2%). Only 11.6% of pediatricians recommended overnight polysomnography and 4.5%, nap polysomnography. The most effective practices for SDB were considered to be: adenoidectomy and adenotonsillectomy, parents counseling, weight loss and sleep hygiene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a gap between research on SDB in childhood and pediatric practice.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Bioestatística, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho. a_balbani@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Aracy Pereira Silveira
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Balbani
authors.forename: Silke Anna Thereza
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Jair Cortez
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Montovani
authors.forename: Lídia Raquel de
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D017286:Polysomnography; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires