What conditions predispose a child to Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Tonsillar and adenoidal hypertrophy are strong risk factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in children.
A number of neurogenetic disorders also predispose children to OSA including Down syndrome, Prader–Willi syndrome, cerebral palsy, mucopolysaccharidoses such as Hunter syndrome, muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders, Arnold–Chiari malformation and other structural abnormalities involving the brain stem, Pierre–Robin syndrome and other craniofacial malformations, and achondroplasia.
In addition, obesity is also a risk factor.
The recent obesity epidemic in children has been associated with an increased occurrence in OSA.
Family history of OSA, race, and ethnicity are also risk factors for OSA in children. African-American children are at an increased risk for OSA.