Association between the habitual lip and tongue posture, clinical characteristics, and sleep-related problems in infants with Trisomy 21.

Purpose: To analyze the association of habitual lip and tongue posture and clinical characteristics with sleep-related problems in infants with Trisomy 21 (T21).

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study with a non-probabilistic sample included 87 infants with T21 with a mean age of 8.8 months. The infants' parents answered the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) and questions about signs and symptoms related to obstructive sleep apnea. The habitual lip and tongue posture was obtained by analyzing videos of the infants' faces. Information on personal data and health history was extracted from medical records, and information about feeding and oral habits was obtained by interviewing the parents. Descriptive analysis approached the infants' sleep data and the association between sleep quality, snoring, witnessed respiratory pauses, unusual sleeping positions, restless sleep, and the other variables, using Pearson's chi-square test with a 5% significance level.

Results: Most infants (82.7%) had good sleep quality. Prematurity was associated with witnessed respiratory pauses; unusual sleeping positions were associated with being a female and with the tongue habitually contained in the oral cavity; and restless sleep was associated with choking.

Conclusion: Prematurity, sex, habitual tongue posture, and choking were associated with the aspects of sleep investigated in infants with T21.