Evaluating Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Risk Factors.

PURPOSE

This study investigates the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical characteristics of positional obstructive sleep apnea (POSA) among pediatric patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 1,236 children aged 0 to 17 years who underwent nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) and completed the Sleep Questionnaire were included. After excluding those with an AHI <1, neurological or muscular disorders, or insufficient sleep time in specific positions, 908 patients remained: 158 with POSA and 750 with non-positional OSA (NPOSA). Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied at a 1:2 ratio, resulting in a final sample of 153 POSA and 306 NPOSA patients. Data analyses were performed using R software (version 4.2.3).

RESULTS

The prevalence of POSA was 12.8%. After PSM, patients with POSA had a lower overall AHI (8.66 vs 10.30), REM-AHI (14.30 vs 17.40), and NREM-AHI (7.43 vs 8.77) compared to those with NPOSA. POSA patients also had a shorter total sleep time (411 vs 427 minutes), spent less time in the supine position (168 vs 225 minutes), and more time in non-supine positions (241 vs 202 minutes) than NPOSA patients. Additionally, while the supine AHI was higher in POSA patients (15.60 vs 10.30), the non-supine AHI was lower (5.00 vs 11.00) compared to NPOSA patients. The minimum oxygen saturation was slightly higher in POSA patients (0.88 vs 0.87). All differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Risk factors for POSA included mild OSA, allergic rhinitis, non-allergic rhinitis, and obesity.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of POSA in children is lower than in adults, and its severity is less than that of NPOSA. Compared to NPOSA patients, POSA patients had significantly higher AHI during supine sleep and lower AHI during non-supine sleep. POSA patients also spent more time in non-supine positions, suggesting that avoiding supine sleep may help reduce apnea events. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring and managing sleep posture in POSA patients.