Sleep Disordered Breathing: Questionnaires for Young Children

Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) has been researched for many years for the adult, however, interest in sleep problems for children is a more recent occurrence. Various questionnaires have been used for adults to deter- mine the likelihood of sleep issues. These adult questionnaires such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale¹, the STOP-Bang Score², the Multiple Sleep Latency Test³, the Stanford Sleepiness Scale⁴, and the Snoring Severity Scale⁵ were specifically designed to analyze the symptoms typical for adults suspected of having SDB.

Symptoms that are observed in children however, are different from those of the adult and as a result, the adult scales are not appropriate for the analysis of a child.⁶ The dental professional usually begins seeing young patients at around 2 to 4 years of age and traditionally they recall them back into the office every six months on a regular basis. This is in direct contrast to the medical professional, where a patient is usually only seen when a problem arises but not as a routine. The dental professional, as a result, is well positioned to recognize patients with SDB at a very young pre-school age. An easy to use questionnaire(s) for the parents of every child would be extremely beneficial to patients that are suspected to be suffering from sleep issues. Treating young patients before they start school would provide them with a great advantage. Treatment however, at any given age up to 12 years could be of great advantage to any patient.

A few questionnaires are available for children such as the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire⁷, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory⁸, and the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire⁹, however, a questionnaire that could be more specific for dental use would be an advantage in diagnosing children suspected of having sleep deprivation.