[Comorbidities of sleep-disordered breathing in children]

Abstract

Sleep-related respiratory disorders in children, especially childhood sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, are associated with a wide range of comorbidities affecting the central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic systems, and growth. The two most important factors contributing to the physiopathology of this disorder are intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, which seem to cause the systemic inflammatory response resulting in these end-organ consequences.