Sleep frequently asked questions: Question 1: What abnormalities do babies with cleft lip and/or palate have on polysomnography?

Null Association Between Isolated Orofacial Clefts and Sleep Duration: A Cohort Study From the Japan Environment and Children's Study

Although children with orofacial clefts have an increased risk for sleep-disordered breathing, no studies have examined the association of sleep duration. Thus, this study aimed to examine associations between orofacial clefts and sleep duration at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years of age in Japan.

A cohort study from the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

This study consisted of 91 497 children, including ones with isolated cleft lip and palate (n = 69), isolated cleft lip only (n = 48), and isolated cleft palate only (n = 37), for which recruitment was undertaken during 2011 to 2014.

Seep durations (hours per day) at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years of age, as reported by their mothers.

In the control group, mean sleep durations and standard deviations at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years of age were 15.2 (2.5), 13.6 (1.9), 12.9 (1.6), and 11.6 (1.2) h, respectively. Compared to the control group, linear regression models reported effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals shorter than 1 h for sleep duration of each type of isolated orofacial cleft at each time point.

This study suggested null associations between isolated orofacial clefts and sleep duration at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years of age. Children with isolated orofacial clefts had sufficient mean sleep duration.

Obstructive sleep apnea in children with non-syndromic cleft palate: a systematic review

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To characterize obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with non-syndromic cleft palate based on polysomnographic parameters relative to primary palatoplasty.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane. Studies were only considered for inclusion if they examined exclusively non-syndromic cleft palate patients and reported polysomnogram data.

RESULTS

Seven studies met inclusion criteria, providing information on a total of 151 patients with a weighted mean age of 5.2 ± 5.0 years old (range 0.1- 12 years). Five studies presented data from either the pre- or post-operative period. Two studies investigated both pre- and post-palatoplasty polysomnogram data, and neither observed a significant change in apnea hypopnea index (AHI) values following surgery (mean pre-operative AHI of 2.7, mean improvement of 0.6 events/hour). The entire cohort had a pre-palatoplasty weighted mean AHI of 11.4 (range 1.5 -16.1) and post-palatoplasty AHI of 1.5 (range 0.2 - 5.2). Interpretation of polysomnographic data was limited by heterogeneity; however, the AHI values of children with non-syndromic cleft palate largely demonstrated mild to moderate OSA following palatoplasty.

CONCLUSIONS

The full effect of cleft palate repair on OSA in children with non-syndromic cleft palate remains understudied. While published data are heterogenous, few studies support the worsening of obstructive AHI after palatoplasty in children with non-syndromic cleft palate. Further studies with standardized polysomnographic parameters are needed to provide guidance for management of this population.