Understanding sleep breathing problems in children with a history of cleft lip and palate

What is it about?

Sleep breathing problems happen more often in children who have had cleft lip and/or palate. What we do not know is whether these sleep breathing problems are more severe then in other children. The results of this study show that a higher proportion of children with cleft lip and/or palate with sleep concerns have obstructive sleep apnea then other children. The severeity of obstructive sleep apnea, as measured by the number of respiratory events per hour of sleep, is similar in children with cleft lip and/or palate compared to other children; however, when we divide severity into groups, children with cleft lip and/or palate have more mild then moderate severe obstructive sleep apnea.

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Why is it important?

Snoring and sleep disturbance appear to be common concerns for children with a history of cleft lip and/or palate. A high number of these children have obstructive sleep apnea but this cannot be identified without proper testing. Once identified, obstrutive sleep apnea can be treated which will improve both sleep and daytine function. Recognizing that snoring and sleep disturbances are not simply part of having a history of cleft lip and/or palate is the first step in improving these troubling symptoms.

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