O042 Parent-reported prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in Australian children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract Introduction Sleep problems are a common yet complex issue for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (ND), affecting up to 80% of these individuals. The aetiology is multifactorial, including physiological, anatomical, psychological, and iatrogenic factors which contribute to problematic, and often persistent, sleep issues. Few studies have evaluated the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in a broad population of children with ND. This study aims to evaluate the parent-reported prevalence of SDB in children with ND. Methods As part of a multi-site, cross-sectional survey, caregivers of community-based and hospital-referred children with ND completed the paediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ). PSQ was scored according to validated methods, including the subscales of snoring, sleepiness, and behaviour. Data were analysed, including stratification by age, sex, and ND type. Results There were 294 participants, with 261 PSQ responses available for analysis (54% male, median age 8.7yrs). 41.4% of children had a genetic syndrome, 24.1% autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, 16.5% neurological disorders, 13.4% undiagnosed/other ND and 4.6% unspecified. 74.7% of children had parent-reported SDB (PSQ>0.33), with a mean/median PSQ score of 0.46±0.19. Snoring, sleepiness, and behavioural subscale scores were 0.27±0.34, 0.52±0.34, and 0.70±0.33 respectively. Discussion This study is the first to report on the prevalence of parent-reported symptoms of SDB in a large cohort of Australian children with ND. It demonstrates a high pretest probability of SDB with 75% of participants having a positive PSQ result. These findings highlight the importance of screening for SDB in children with ND to ensure early intervention.