Objective: To investigate the characteristics of sleep-related respiratory events in normal children and to provide normal polysomnographic parameters for diagnosing sleep-disordered breathing in children. Methods: Normal subjects between 3 and 14 years old were enrolled from 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2015 and the subjects received overnight polysomnography at the sleep center of our hospital. They were children of our hospital employees or were recruited from the communities who did not have sleep and respiratory disorders. The children were divided into preschool group (3-5 years) and school-age group (6-14 years). Apnea index (AI), obstructive apnea index (OAI), central apnea index (CAI), and mixed apnea index (MAI) were compared between the two groups. Data for continuous variables that showed normal distribution were expressed as x ±s. M(P25, P75) were used when data were not normally distributed. Continuous variables that showed normal distribution were compared by using an independent-sample t-test. Wilcoxon-test was performed when data exhibited non-normal distribution. Differences in categorical data were tested with Chi-square test. Pearson correlation test was applied for the correlation analysis. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 115 normal children took part in the study including 40 in preschool group and 75 in school-age group. Children in both groups had a few sleep apnea events, most of which were central apneas, accounting for 80% and 70% of the total respiratory events respectively. Central apnea index in preschool children were significantly higher than that of school-age children (P<0.001), with median of 0.6 times/h and 0.1 times/h, respectively. Median OAI of both groups were 0.0 times/h without significant difference (P=0.748). Obstructive apnea events occurred mainly in the supine position in both groups. Conclusions: Normal children may have a few apnea events in sleep that were predominantly central apnea. CAI of preschool children is significantly higher than that of school-age children. Obstructive sleep apnea is rare in normal children, and sleep apnea occurs mainly in the supine position.
目的：探讨无鼾健康儿童睡眠呼吸事件的特点，为儿童睡眠呼吸疾病的多道睡眠监测(PSG)诊断标准提供参考。 方法：2014年7月1日至2015年12月31日，招募3～14岁的健康儿童作为志愿者，在首都医科大学附属北京儿童医院睡眠中心行睡眠监测。按年龄分为学龄前(3～5岁)和学龄期(6～14岁)两组，分析比较两组间呼吸暂停指数(AI)、阻塞性呼吸暂停指数(OAI)、中枢性呼吸暂停指数(CAI)、混合性呼吸暂停指数(MAI)的特点。人口学信息及PSG参数中正态分布的连续资料用x±s描述，偏态分布的连续资料用M(P25，P75)描述。正态分布的连续资料的比较用独立样本t检验，非正态分布的连续变量比较用非参数检验，分类变量比较用χ2检验。相关性分析采用Pearson检验。P<0.05为差异有统计学意义。 结果：115名健康儿童纳入研究，其中学龄前组40名，学龄期组75名。两组儿童均有少量睡眠呼吸暂停事件，均以中枢性呼吸暂停为主，分别占总呼吸事件的80%和70%。学龄前儿童中枢性呼吸暂停事件明显多于学龄期儿童，学龄前儿童CAI中位数为0.6次/h，学龄期儿童则为0.1次/h，差异有统计学意义(P<0.001)。两组儿童OAI中位数均为0.0次/h，差异无统计学意义(P＝0.748)。两组儿童所有阻塞性呼吸暂停事件均发生在仰卧位时。 结论：健康儿童睡眠中可以有少量呼吸暂停事件，以中枢性呼吸暂停为主，学龄前儿童CAI明显高于学龄期儿童。健康儿童阻塞性呼吸暂停少见，睡眠呼吸事件主要出现在仰卧位时。.
Keywords: Child; Polysomnography; Reference values; Sleep apnea, central; Sleep apnea, obstructive.