Management Approach on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Pediatric Clinical Case With Myofunctional Therapy
Susana Falardo, B.F.P. Pennacchio, Letizia Deana, Amelia Feliciano, Sandra Marques, Andreu Puigdollers
Purpose: This study aims to review the treatment plan of patients with Pediatric Obstructive Sleep
Apnea, as well as to present a clinical case of a pediatric patient with obstructive sleep apnea with
improvement of respiratory events through myofunctional therapy treatments.
Material and Methods: For the diagnosis of this clinical case, history, intra- and extra-oral evaluation,
radiographic examination, and type II polysomnography were performed. After performing 12 months
of myofunctional therapy combined with manual physiotherapy, a second type II polysomnography was
performed in order to control and register the possible outcomes. Data obtained were evaluated taking
into account the normative values of polysomnographic parameters in childhood and adolescence.
Results: After therapy, the second polysomnography revealed an improvement on structure of sleep and
correction of respiratory events. All events were correct despite the sleep stage. Improvements have
been recorded in Apnea/Hypopnea Index, oxygen saturation index and oxygen saturation time <90%.
Also, great outcomes on recovering the functional crossbite were recorded and improvement on the
behavioral.
Conclusion: The new holistic approaches with myofunctional therapies in correlation with postural
therapies would appear to be effective in improving the condition of pediatric children with Obstructive
Sleep Apnea. It would appear that the use of these therapeutic approaches is most effective in cases of
mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea that do not require surgical treatment, as in the treatment of the clinical
case just described.
