Grant: CIHR New Investigator

Childhood sleep disordered breathing (SDB), from habitual snoring to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, is associated with academic difficulties and ADHD-like symptoms long after the SDB has resolved. SDB in pre-school children, a period of significant brain development, is under-studies and consequently, the long-term impact on growth and development may be under-appreciated. We hypothesize that children with SDB in the first two years of life are more likely to present with learning difficulties at 2 years of age. We are currently recruiting 1000 pregnant women in Edmonton for a new longitudinal birth cohort study. Cognitive development will be assessed by the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID-III) at age 1 and 2 years. Childhood behaviour and executive function will be assessed by the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function®-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P) at age 2 years. To identify children with SDB, we will administer the Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire to all 1000 children every 3 months, complete a laboratory sleep study on all children at age 1, and a sleep study at age 2 years in children previously identified as having SDB or developmental delays. This proposal describes a unique opportunity to address questions of critical importance to human development in the context of a new longitudinal birth cohort study.