Parents’ knowledge about obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in childhood

Aim: To evaluate parents’ knowledge about obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in preschoolers in the primary dentition in the city of Parnaíba-PI. Methods: The questionnaire on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children was applied to parents of children between 2 and 6 years of age, in the deciduous dentition who were attending preschool in public and private kindergarten. It contained objective questions distributed in two parts: the first that determined the epidemiological profile of parents and children; the second part with 22 questions that checked the parents’ knowledge about the child’s sleep and behavior during the day. As an interpretation, the questionnaires that presented 36.3% of the answers YES to the 22 specific questions, the child was considered at high probability for developing OSAS. Results: The average age of the children was approximately 4 years old. Regarding weight, an average of 22 kilos and an average height of 107.45 cm and an average BMI of 18.75, confirmed by notes on the vaccination card. Loud snoring, loud or heavy breathing, and overweight were significantly associated with OSAS (p < 0.001). From a total of 250 children, it was observed that the prevalence rate of high possibility for the development of OSAS was 6% (n=15). Conclusion: Parents were not aware of OSAS, but after applying the questionnaire, they were able to understand the suggestive signs of the syndrome and the importance of early diagnosis.