The heavier children are, the more severe is the sleep apnea they are likely to experience, a study shows. Tonsil size also appears to be related to sleep apnea severity.

Sleep apnea is the temporary closure of airways during sleep, blocking breathing for several seconds, sometimes many times an hour. It can lead to daytime sleepiness and high blood pressure.

The link between obesity and sleep apnea “is well established in adults, but data are inconsistent in children,” Dr. Daniel K. Ng and colleagues from Kwong Wah Hospital, Hong Kong, write in the medical journal Chest.

To investigate, the researchers analyzed data on 482 Chinese children, between the ages of 1 and 15 years, who were referred to their sleep laboratory.

The 111 children who were classified as obese had a significantly higher apnea score than non-obese children, Ng’s group reports. Tonsil size was the only other predictor of apnea severity.

The effect of sleep apnea on the cardiovascular system “is worrying,” the researchers comment, “and active education of both medical doctors and the general public is important.”

SOURCE: Chest, December 2006.