Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity in a Pediatric Population

In adult populations, the pathology of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is mainly related to obesity. In contrast, early studies in pediatric populations suggested adenoid and tonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) to be the main causes of OSAS in children, making adenotonsillectomy the first line of treatment. Early consensus was that, in contrast to adults, pediatric OSAS patients often present with inadequate weight gain and even failure to thrive. In fact, the past three decades have witnessed a 2-3-fold increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity. This fact sparked a shift in the pediatric OSAS paradigm towards combing obesity and ATH as the main causes of the disease. This represents a major change from the traditional view that ATH alone was the primary cause. Thus, further research on the pathology and outcomes of pediatric OSAS is needed. Especially given the increased prevalence of childhood obesity.

Materials Available

• Abstract

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Project Type(s): Master's Thesis

Author(s): Ge (Lilly) Wang

Program(s): Master of Science, RDN Training

Year: 2014

Adviser(s):

• Donna B. Johnson