COVID hindered enrollment

The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential improvement of sleep quality in children who have residual obstructive sleep apnea, using either an orthodontic intervention or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), versus no treatment.

Consenting patients and their parents will choose one of three options (within the context of medical/craniofacial appropriateness): CPAP, orthodontic intervention, or to remain untreated (control). It would be ideal if each patient was randomly assigned to one of three groups. However, in our study, random allocation is not an option as the established clinical pathways for treatment, financial resources, and physiological presentation of the patient determines the appropriate intervention. In each group, the effectiveness of the intervention will be analyzed through the evaluation of sleep parameters, medical history, questionnaire responses, craniofacial characteristics, diet, and metabolomic markers, each at baseline and at 12 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea by polysomnography who presented with a failure in treatment with surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoid tissue --adenotonsillectomy (T&A).
• Patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea but for whom T&A was not an option following assessment by Otolaryngology.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Autism spectrum
• Down syndrome
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Cystic fibrosis

Children from 6 to16 years old, from both sexes in Alberta, Canada, diagnosed with (a) residual OSA (post-T&A) or (b) diagnosed with OSA but for whom T&A is not a treatment option.