Diagnosis and treatment of children with sleep apnea

Sleep apnea includes obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome(OSAS) is affecting up to 5.7% of children, which hss adverse impact on growth, development cognitive and behavioral outcomes, and untreated OSAS increases cardiovascular risk, so paying closer attention to childhood OSAS early diagnosis and treatment seems more important.First-line treatment in OSAS children is adenotonsillectomy, although other treatment options available include continuous positive airways pressure, anti-inflammatory therapies, airway adjuncts and orthodontic appliances.Central sleep apnea may be related to respiratory regulation center immaturity or dysplasia.Central sleep apnea may be hereditary or acquired.Therefore, the treatment of central sleep apnea should be focused on primariy etiology. Key words: Sleep apnea; Sleep apnea syndrome; Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome