Editorial – Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and recurrent upper airway disease in children

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and snoring are important health issues in the pediatric popu- lation, with a respective prevalence of 0.1% to 13% and 6% to 12% and a strict correlation with recurrent upper airway disease. Awareness of OSAS and snoring as health issues in children and adolescents is inadequate; there is a significant gap between the estimated number of children with OSAS and clinically diagnosed cases. Missed or delayed treatment may put young patients at risk of growth lag, hyperactivity, attention deficit, learning disabilities, and low levels of education and literacy; there is a significant increase in the use of health services by children with OSAS. Studies have demonstrated that the severity of OSAS correlates directly with total annual costs and is age-independent; other studies have shown that annual healthcare costs are reduced by one-third for children with OSAS undergoing adenotonsillectomy.