EDITORIAL Sleep-disordered breathing in children: are we

leep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a spectrum of disorders, ranging from primary snoring to severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Several studies have suggested that primary snoring may affect 10– 25 % of children aged 3–12 yrs, and 10 % of these children may have OSAS [1–3]. SDB is known to be associated with behavioural problems, such as aggression, hyperactivity, attention-deficit disorder and poor socialisation [4]. GOZAL [5] showed that SDB was 6–9-fold more common in 1st grade children (aged 6 yrs) who were in the bottom tenth percentile for academic achievement. Furthermore, neurocognitive func-tions, such as memory, learning and problem solving, are reduced in children with SDB [6]. Therefore, it is not surprising that the overall health status and quality of life for children with SDB is reduced significantly [4, 7]. Indeed, the quality o