The effect of sleep disordered breathing on health related quality of life and depressive symptoms in children

During a 30-month long study period, 120 children (that included 60 cases with snoring or sleep disordered breathing and 60 controls) were studied. The mean age was 8.62 yrs in the test group. Parameters like BMI and presenting symptoms were recorded. A detailed upper airway examination was performed. Complete polysomnography of the clinical group was conducted. Parameters of health related quality of life (HRQOL) and depressive symptoms were studied by utilizing duly filled up questionnaires (Peds QL™ 4 and CDI respectively). Parent and child reported health related quality of life as derived from the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4 (Peds QL™ 4) was significantly lower in the clinical group as compared to that in the control group. Depressive symptoms as derived from Children's’ Depression Inventory (CDI) were significantly higher in the clinical group as compared to controls in all the subscales. Children in 7–12 yrs age group who snore were found to have a substantially impaired quality of life that appeared to be unrelated to the severity of OSA. While the pathophysiologic mechanisms that mediate this facet of sleep-disordered-breathing (SDB) - associated morbidity remains to be defined, the present study results suggest that all school children with symptoms of snoring should have a through assessment of their QOL and emotional functioning and necessary intervention should be done at the earliest to remove the causative factor.