Snoring toddlers with and without obstructive sleep apnoea differed with regard to snoring time, adenoid size and mouth breathing

Abstract

Aim: The difficulty of assessing the likelihood of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in children who snore without full-night polysomnography is widely recognised. Our aim was to identify features that were characteristic of two-year-old children with OSA and evaluate whether this information could be used to assess the likelihood of OSA. Methods: The study was carried out as part of the Child-Sleep Project, a longitudinal birth cohort study of children born at Tampere University Hospital, Finland. This part of the study focused on the children in the cohort who snored and was carried out between 2013 and 2015. The primary outcomes were measured using parental questionnaires, polysomnography and clinical examinations. Results: In total, 52 children participated at a mean age of 27 months (range 23-34). Of these, 32 (44% male) snorers and 20 (70% male) controls. The most significant findings were that children who had OSA demonstrated longer snoring time (P =.003), a greater tendency for mouth breathing (P =.007) and bigger adenoid size (P =.008) than snorers without OSA. Conclusion: Snoring time, adenoid tissue size and mouth breathing were important features that identified the likelihood of OSA in snoring toddlers.