Many Kids Don't Adhere to Sleep Apnea Therapy

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Forbes.com
March 24, 2006
Article

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FRIDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Children with troublesome sleep apnea don't always use the "gold standard" therapy -- a pressurized nighttime air mask -- consistently enough to provide them with maximum benefit, a new study suggests.

The therapy, called positive airway pressure (PAP), involves having the sleeping patient wear a breathing mask that delivers a gentle, steady flow of air, which significantly improves breathing and oxygen levels when used regularly. The therapy improves the quality of sleep and daytime alertness.

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The follow-up sleep study showed that the children's sleep apnea went from severe to mild or better. However, 78 percent of the parents revealed that their children did not use the PAP device every night. Even the children who did use the device every night did so for an average of only five hours a night. This is insufficient, given children's long sleep hours, the researchers said.

They also found that parents tended to overestimate children's use of the PAP device by about two hours.


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