Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: A Short Primer

Abstract

Since the modern description of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the mid-1970s, this disease has rapidly emerged as a highly prevalent condition in children. Its major importance derives from the vast array of end-organ morbidities associated with pediatric OSA, as knowledge and understanding on such adverse consequences and their pathophysiological mechanisms have accrued over the last several decades. In parallel, a remarkable transition is currently underway to radically change the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for OSA in children. This chapter will not only provide a succinct review of the clinical aspects of childhood OSA but also examine some of the newer directions that unavoidably will transition our practices from "one size fits all" to endotype- and phenotype-based precision approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)