How does Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome differ between adults and children?
Most adults with OSA experience daytime sleepiness and snoring, whereas children tend to have behavioral issues such as inattentiveness, distractibility, irritability, hyperactivity, or impaired academic performance in addition to snoring.
The most common anatomic finding in children is enlarged tonsils and adenoids.
Children more frequently have obstructive hypopneas (partial upper airway obstruction), whereas adults are more likely to have obstructive apneas.
The nocturnal sleep pattern is typically highly fragmented in adults whereas children may have fewer respiratory-related arousals than adults.
Younger children may also demonstrate a pattern of obstructive hypoventilation.
Obesity is common among adults and adolescents with OSA, while a significant number of young children have normal weight or even failure to thrive.
Of note, cognitive and cardiovascular dysfunction can occur in both adults and children.
