title: The Impact of Non-nutritive Sucking on the Risk for Sleep-disordered Breathing in Children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is not uncommon in children. The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship between non-nutritive sucking (NNS) and the risk of SDB in children as well as assess the effect of infant feeding practices on SDB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four healthy four- to 12-year-old children were categorized either as high or low risk for SDB based on the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ). NNS and feeding practices were determined using a customized caregiver questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference (P=0.21) between low- and high-risk children for a history of NNS. A statistically significant difference (P<0.001) was found for breastfed versus bottlefed children, with breastfeeding having a protective effect for SDB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NNS had no effect on SDB, while breastfeeding reduced the risk substantially.
authors.affiliation: Assistant professor, Department of Orthodontics, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nev., USA.
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Al-Talib
authors.affiliation: Associate professor and Chair, Department of Orthodontics, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C., USA.
authors.forename: Lorne D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Koroluk
authors.affiliation: Research professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C., USA.
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Vann
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Orthodontics and Assistant Dean for Graduate/Advanced Education, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C., USA;, Email: ceib_phillips@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Ceib
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009657:North Carolina; D012890:Sleep; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013391:Sucking Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires