title: Severe obesity is a risk factor for severe obstructive sleep apnea in obese children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association between degree of obesity and severity of OSA in Thai children
  
  
  METHODS
  The present retrospective study recruited obese children aged 3 to 15 years who had habitual snoring and underwent polysomnography (PSG) between January 2009 and June 2010. Obesity was defined as percentage of ideal weight for height (%W/H) > or = 120 and was classified as mild (%W/H of 120-139), moderate (140-159), severe (160-199) and morbid (> or = 200). OSA was classified as severe (AHI > or = 10) and non-severe (AHI < 10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 73 obese children, the mean age was 9.92 +/- 3.42 years of which 60.3% were boys. The mean +/- SD of BMI was 28.38 +/- 5.99 kg/m2 and %W/H +/- SD was 162.63 +/- 26 26. Gender age, height, weight and BMI were not significantly different between severe and non-severe OSA groups. However, the %W/H of the severe OSA group (171.38% +/- 29.54%) was significantly greater than the non-severe group (157.19% +/- 22.68%) (p = 0.02). Severe to morbid obesity (OR 2.80, 95% CI 1.06-7.42; p = 0.038) and enlarged tonsils at least 3+ (OR 3.28, 95% CI 1.22-8.81; p = 0.018) were the risk factors for severe OSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe to morbid obesity was a predicting factor for severe OSA. These results suggested that severely obese children with snoring should have early recognition for severe OSA, which is highly contributing to multiple sequalae.
authors.affiliation: Siriraj Sleep Center, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University Bangkok, Thailand. sikui@mahidol.ac.th
authors.forename: Kanokporn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Udomittipong
authors.forename: Nitipatana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chierakul
authors.forename: Pimon
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruttanaumpawan
authors.forename: Wattanachai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chotinaiwattarakul
authors.forename: Chakraphan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Susiva
authors.forename: Khunphon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahoran
authors.forename: Suwat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tangchityongsiva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology; D017286:Polysomnography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology*