Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Nasal Obstruction, and Enuresis in Children With Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate: A Prevalence Study

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), nasal obstruction, and enuresis in children with nonsyndromic unilateral cleft lip and palate. Design: Prospective cross-sectional study. Setting: Referral care center. Participants: One hundred seventy-four children aged 6 to 12 years of both genders. Interventions: Symptoms of OSA and nasal obstruction were investigated by analysis of scores obtained by the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) and Congestion Quantifier (CQ-5). Enuresis was considered as present when urinary loss was reported during sleep (at least 1 episode/month, last 3 months). To characterize the enuresis as mono- or polysymptomatic, symptoms of dysfunction of the lower urinary tract (DLUT) were investigated by the Dysfunctional Voiding Scoring System (DVSS). Statistical analysis was performed at a 5% level of significance. Results: Positive SDSC scores for OSA were observed in 60 (34%) children; positive CQ-5 scores for nasal obstruction in 45 (26%), positive DVSS scores for DLUT in 30 (17%), and enuresis was reported by 29 (17%), being categorized as primary in 66% and polysymptomatic in 72% of the children. Compared to the pediatric population, OSA, nasal obstruction, and enuresis prevalence ratios were up to 7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 5-9), 2 (95% CI 2-3), and 3 times (95% CI 2-5) higher, respectively. There was a positive/moderate correlation between symptoms of OSA and nasal obstruction (P = .0001). No correlation was seen between symptoms of OSA and enuresis. Conclusions: Children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate have high prevalence of nasal obstruction and enuresis and are at risk of OSA.