Obstructive sleep apnea prevents the expected difference in craniofacial growth of boys and girls

• Main Author: Juliano, Maria Ligia [UNIFESP]
• Publication Date: 2013
• Other Authors: Machado, Marco Antonio Cardoso [UNIFESP], Carvalho, Luciane Bizari Coin de [UNIFESP], Santos, Gianni Mara Silva dos, Zancanella, Edilson, Prado, Lucila Bizari Fernandes do [UNIFESP], Prado, Gilmar Fernandes do [UNIFESP]
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Institucional da UNIFESP
• dARK ID: ark:/48912/00130000272mp
• Download full: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X2013000100005; http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/7542
• topic: sleep apnea syndromes; mouth breathing; child; sleep apnea; obstructive; gender identity; síndromes da apnéia do sono; respiração bucal; criança; síndrome da apneia obstrutiva do sono; identidade de gênero

OBJECTIVES: It was to compare cephalometric measures of mouth-breather boys and girls and with the cephalometric pattern observed in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients. METHODS: Craniofacial measurements of lateral cephalometric radiographs obtained from 144 children aged 7-14 years were compared between boys and girls, and both were compared to cephalometric pattern of OSAS patients. RESULTS: Mouth-breather boys and girls had no gender differences regarding to craniofacial morphology while nose-breather boys and girls showed those expected differences. Nose-breather boys presented a more retruded mandible and proinclined upper incisor when compared to nose-breather girls, but mouth-breather boys and girls had no differences. The measure NS.GoGn was the only variable with an interaction with gender and breathing. CONCLUSIONS: There were no cephalometric difference in mouth breather-boys and girls related to normal growth, suggesting that oral breathing make the same craniofacial morphology and both have craniofacial morphology close to that of OSAS patients.