Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Down Syndrome

Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs in over 50% of people with Down Syndrome. It has been recommended by U.S. researchers that all children with Down Syndrome be tested by the time they are three or four years of age.

In children with heart problems, a common condition in Down Syndrome, the decreased oxygen levels in the blood caused by OSA can cause some serious complications. Therefore it is important to get it checked out if you notice any of the signs of OSA.

In children with Down Syndrome OSA can be caused by a number of factors: low tone, flat facial profile and the typical facial structure often seen in people with Down Syndrome, enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids, allergies and stuffy noses, the small mouth and seemingly large tongue.

The symptoms of OSA vary but here are listed some of the common ones:Snoring or noisy breathing ( okay, that's the obvious one), strange sleeping positions (for example with the neck hyper-extended), restless sleep, frequent waking at night, mouth breathing, behavioral problems, weight loss or not gaining weight at the expected rate.

How is Obstructive Sleep Apnea diagnosed? Your ear, nose and throat doctor will likely recommend a test called a polysomnography. A polysomnography is usually done on an overnight basis. Your child will be carefully monitored while he or she sleeps.

Treatments for OSATreatments for OSA include: removal of the tonsils and/or adenoids, getting allergies under control, or the use of CPAP.

In his article about OSA in children with Down Syndrome Dr. Len Leshin,MD,FAAP recommends that the removal of tonsils and adenoids should not be day surgery. A child with Down Syndrome will usually have a longer recovery period and he or she will also have longer periods of decreased oxygenation so this child should be watched for a bit longer than a child who does not have Down Syndrome.