Behavioural disorders and parental stress in children suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: a pre- and post-adenotonsillectomy confrontation

The primary goal of the present study was to compare breathing difficulties resulting from OSAS to possible cognitive-behavioural problems of the child linked to their parents’ emotional-relational aspects. There is strong evidence that sleep breathing disorders are associated with behavioural alterations, a tendency towards aggressiveness, weak school performance and a clear disorder in continuous and selective attention other than vigilance status. Not all patients suffering from OSA have cognitive and/or behavioural manifestations; furthermore, the degree of dysfunction that the patient may present does not seem to be associated with the seriousness of sleep breathing disorder (SBD). It is therefore likely that genetic susceptibility associated with particular environmental factors has a role in determining phenotypic manifestations which are unique for every single patient. Questionnaires were given to parents, one regarding executive functions and one regarding parental stress: Conners’ Rating Scale Revised; Parenting Stress Index. All parents of children who suffer from moderate to severe OSA, with a McGill score of 3 to 4 and with no exclusion criteria are included in the study; behavioural and parental stress evaluation was made during hospitalisation and at 6 months after adenotonsillectomy. The results show that resolving OSAS led to important improvements in the competence and behavioural attitudes of the patient, as well as in relational and management difficulties by parents. The identification of such indicators could represent a support to surgical programming, even in non-severe SBD. Future research will have the goal of identifying standardised risk indicators that can provide further indications for surgical treatment in children up to 5 years of age.