Persistent Obstructive Sleep Apnea Post-adenotonsillectomy in Children.

Background Childhood obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder in children mostly due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Therefore, adenotonsillectomy is the mainstay of treatment. However, the outcome of adenotonsillectomy is limited in some patients who develop persistent OSA (POSA). We aim to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and treatments of POSA in the pediatric population in Qatar. Methodology This is a retrospective review of medical electronic records of patients aged 1-18 years, who underwent adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy at Sidra Medicine (Doha, Qatar) between June 2017 and September 2022. Demographic, clinical, and polysomnography (PSG) data were collected. POSA was defined as the persistence of at least one of the following OSA symptoms: snoring, gasping, mouth breathing or witnessed sleep apnea during post-surgery clinic visits, and/or post-surgical diagnosis of OSA by PSG. The prevalence of POSA was defined as the number of patients who had persistent symptoms divided by patients who were followed at outpatient clinics (ENT/pulmonology) post-surgery. Risk factors for POSA were evaluated using multivariate regression analysis. Results A total of 410 patients (259 males and 151 females) underwent adenotonsillectomy during the study period. The average age at surgery was 3.6 ± 2.5 years. The majority of patients (85.9%) had no history of underlying medical conditions. The rest of the patients (14.1%) were diagnosed with chromosomal abnormalities or neuromuscular disorders. All patients (100%) had a history of snoring before surgery, and 32.4% of patients had a history of witnessed sleep apnea. A total of 52 patients had persistent symptoms four months post-surgery. POSA prevalence was estimated at 15.4%. Univariate analysis showed young age at the time of surgery (p = 0.015), history of asthma (23%, 12/52) (p = 0.002), allergic rhinitis (13%, 7/52) (p = 0.001), gastroesophageal reflux disease ((11%, 6/52) (p < 0.001), and genetic syndromes (17%, 9/52) (p < 0.005) as significant risk factors for POSA. Multiple regression analysis showed that syndromic disorders and allergic rhinitis were significantly correlated with persistent OSA (p = 0.021 and p = 0.000, respectively). Conclusions POSA is prevalent in children post-tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, especially in patients with genetic syndromes and those with symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Future studies are needed to better define the condition and provide evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

The First Case of a Homozygous CCNO NM 021147.4 Mutation Associated With Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia in Two Indian Siblings.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a heterogeneous autosomal recessive disease marked by organ lateralization in 50% of patients, chronic sinopulmonary disease, infertility in men, and neonatal respiratory distress. Respiratory control cells contain CCNO in their apical cytoplasm, which is necessary for the development of multiciliate cells, basal body amplification, and migration. Reduced generation of multiple motile cilia, a rare form of PCD, has been linked to CCNO gene abnormalities. Individuals with CCNO mutations have been reported to suffer from severe lower respiratory infections that cause progressive impairment of lung function. For the first time, we describe the CCNO NM 021147.4 (c.258 262dup.p, Gln88argfs*8 Homozygous) gene mutation in an Indian consanguineous family that resulted in severe PCD.

Parental perceptions of child's healthy diet: Evidence from a rapidly developing country.

BACKGROUND: There are no studies in Qatar or in the Middle East to investigate parental perception of healthy diet in childhood. PURPOSE: To investigate parental perception of childhood healthy diet in the State of Qatar. METHODS: Cross-sectional prospective study at Hamad Medical Corporation, State of Qatar. Parents of children <14 years old were invited to complete a questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 398 parents agreed to participate, while 22 parents refused (response rate 94%). About 80% of parents were between 20 and 39 years of age, and 77% were females. Around 230 (58%) parents had ≥1 housemaid to help with housework, including food preparation. Whilst 151 children (37%) fell into the overweight and obese category, only 68 parents (17%) perceived that their child was in this category. Less than half the participants (n = 179, 45%) stated that childhood weight should be monitored prior to 5 years of age, while around 35% stated the same, but for children ages 5-14 years. Most participants (n = 324, 81%) agreed that parental eating habits could influence childhood weight. In terms of food preparation at home, mothers cooked almost 50% of the times, housemaids 30%, followed by grandmothers (16.6%), and fathers (3.4%). When asked about the frequency of school meals being prepared at home, 237 parents (60%) prepared their children's lunch box only 1-2 times per week. Moreover, 63% of parents chose the quality of food based on nutritional values, while 44% and 35% chose it based on safety and taste, respectively. When queried about whether the child's pediatrician or the primary care physician counsel families regarding childhood healthy diet, 187 families (47%) had not received counseling by their children's health care providers. Most families agreed that healthy diets lead to better school performance (n = 372, 94%) and better physical activity quality (n = 379, 96%). Compared to families living in the rural areas, parents living in the capital Doha had better insights that healthy diets result in better in school performance (p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Parental perception is an important target for public health interventions. Within the current sample, families were aware of the positive impact of healthy diet on overall wellbeing. Qatar is a well-resourced country and it would be cost effective to train and professionally develop pediatricians and primary care physicians to be more proactive in tackling childhood obesity.