New screening tool to diagnose common sleep problem in children
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 - 15:32
in Health & Medicine
A new screening tool to help diagnose obstructive sleep apnea in children has been developed by clinical investigators. Evidence suggests that adults with a large neck circumference are more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), especially males. As neck circumference varies by age and sex, there have been no reference ranges to diagnose pediatric OSA up until now. The new evidence-based diagnostic tool includes reference ranges -- a new pediatric growth curve -- to measure and track neck circumference for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 17.