Sleep and Breathing in Children

Infants and children spend one- to two-thirds of their life asleep. Despite this, very little attention has been paid to understanding both normal sleep and sleep-related abnormalities during child development. This volume is devoted to breathing during sleep, its changes with development (from the fetus onwards), and the pathophysiology of sleep-related breathing disorders.

Sleep and Breathing in Children:

• investigates breathing during sleep from the fetus onwards
• examines the effects of sleep on upper airway resistance, ventilatory drive, and respiratory muscle tone
• compares differences between childhood and adult obstructive sleep apnea, and the profound changes in breathing and sleep during growth and maturation
• discusses the current research within the field of pediatric sleep disorders
• reviews the history of childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and outlines a future framework for the study of childhood sleep-disordered breathing