EP237: Clinical correlates, diagnosis, and management of sleep-disordered breathing in young children with Down syndrome

Abstract

Individuals with Down syndrome have high rates of sleep-disordered breathing and demonstrate more severe manifestations of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in terms of hypoxemia, hypoventilation, and sleep disturbance compared with non-syndromic patients. Infants are especially predisposed to airway obstruction and abnormal gas exchange during sleep due to unique anatomic and physiologic features. The consequences of untreated OSA in childhood include pulmonary hypertension, cognitive and behavioral dysfunction, and abnormal growth.