Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in obese, non-obese and control children

• Published in: International dental journal 2021-09, Vol.71, p.S42-S42
• Main Authors: Cañellas, Elba, Andreu, María, Clusellas, Núria, Esteller, Eduard, Puigdollers, Andreu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0020-6539; 1875-595X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2021.08.026

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children is a highly prevalent disorder. Adenotonsillectomy is considered the first line of treatment. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of adenotonsillectomy on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), on the cephalometric values and on arch width measurements in obese and non-obese children with OSAS, and to compare the arch width measurements with a control group. A quasi-experimental prospective study was performed. Children aged between 2 and 12 years were recruited. The sample was divided into three groups: 1. Obese children with OSAS (n=15), 2. Non-obese children with OSAS (n=117), 3. Matched control group (n=106). A child was considered obese when the body mass index was higher than 95th percentile. All subjects underwent anthropometric measurements and alginate impressions. A polysomnography and teleradiography were taken only in both experimental groups. These records were also taken after one year. Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon test were used to compare the quantitative variables. Regarding the arch width variables, there were statistically significant differences (p-value