Positive Airway Pressure Levels for Children with Sleep Disordered Breathing

Positive Airway Pressure Levels for Children with Sleep Disordered Breathing

Study Objectives: Positive airway pressure (PAP) is the mainstay therapy for children presenting with sleep disordered breathing/ obstructive sleep apnea (SDB/OSA) who are either not a candidate for, or have failed other treatments. There are few published reports on PAP therapy in the pediatric population. We describe PAP settings used to treat clinical groups of children with and without Down syndrome. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Records from children, aged 1-18 years with prescribed PAP therapy to treat sleep disordered breathing (OSA/SDB) between 1997 and 2011 were reviewed. Demographic and polysomnographic data were extracted for six sub-groups of children with OSA/SDB: nonobese, overweight and obese (children with Down syndrome and otherwise typical children).