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Current Advances in Paediatric Sleep Medicine (2nd Edition)
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Current Advances in Paediatric Sleep Medicine (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2026 | Viewed by 5731

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ekkehart Paditz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Applied Prevention/Zentrum für Angewandte Prävention, 01307 Dresden, Germany
Interests: paediatric sleep medicine; differential diagnostics; melatonin; history of medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Silke Anna Theresa Weber

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Health Technology Assessment Unit, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Botucatu, Brazil
2. Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical School (FMB) of São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
Interests: sleep apnea; paediatric sleep medicine; otolaryngology; pattern recognition in medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the success and enthusiastic response to the first edition of our Special Issue, entitled “Current Advances in Paediatric Sleep Medicine”, we cordially invite you to report on your further findings relating to all areas of paediatric sleep medicine and psychology. With the second edition of our Special Issue, we aim to move closer to the goal of better understanding the connection between sleep and health in children and being able to recognise and influence it as part of evolutionarily determined chronological rhythms.

This raises the following questions: Why do children sleep? What effects does healthy sleep have on memory formation, growth, and metabolic processes? What common biological constants can be identified despite cultural differences? What key messages should be communicated to families so that healthy sleep contributes to children's health and creativity? What basic principles in diagnosis and therapy should continue to be taken into account? What new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are available? What opportunities and limitations do diagnostic procedures involving artificial intelligence offer?

We welcome informative case reports, case series, randomised studies, epidemiological data, systematic reviews, study designs, and references to your own research that show how the methodological approach to the phenomenon of children's sleep has evolved. Can you recall any impressive situations in which help was provided? How are these patients doing today? Have previous recommendations proven to be effective? What methods and basic attitudes are necessary to ensure that the expertise of specialists is integrated into interdisciplinary concepts, and can these be understood and implemented in collaboration with the patients concerned?

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a project idea that is ready for publication but have not yet decided on the form and scope of the manuscript.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Prof. Dr. Ekkehart Paditz
Prof. Dr. Silke Anna Theresa Weber
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • paediatric sleep medicine
  • infant sleep
  • adenoidectomy
  • tonsillotomy
  • orthodontic appliances
  • non-hospital ventilation
  • cognitive behavioural therapy
  • melatonin
  • epistemology
  • differential diagnostics

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 2693 KB  
Article
Morphometric Findings in Adolescents with Robin Sequence: A Photographic and Cephalometric Study of the Face and Mandible
by Silvia Müller-Hagedorn, Helen So, Brigitte Vi-Fane, Véronique Soupre, Bachar Houssamo, Nancy Vegas, Walter Lehmacher, Arnaud Picard and Véronique Abadie
Children 2026, 13(2), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020242 - 9 Feb 2026
Viewed by 805
Abstract
Background: The aims of the study were to describe facial morphology and analyze facial growth in adolescents with Robin sequence (RS) or Stickler syndrome. Methods: The facial morphology, mandibular size, and facial growth of 69 adolescents (ages 12–18) with RS were analyzed using [...] Read more.
Background: The aims of the study were to describe facial morphology and analyze facial growth in adolescents with Robin sequence (RS) or Stickler syndrome. Methods: The facial morphology, mandibular size, and facial growth of 69 adolescents (ages 12–18) with RS were analyzed using existing cephalometric radiographs (n = 37) and photographs (n = 69). All participants were followed in our institution since birth. None underwent growth-modifying treatment for micrognathia during infancy, but all had conservative orthodontic treatment during adolescence. Results: Cross-sectional cephalometric analysis according to Tweed revealed differences in RS adolescents as compared with reference values, such as a proportionate retrusion of both jaws, as indicated by decreased SNA and SNB angles (p < 0.05). This finding was mostly associated with skeletal Class I (62.2%) and a vertical facial pattern as indicated by increased FMA and CoGoMe angles (p < 0.05). In Delaire’s analysis, patients showed decreased maxillary, maxillary alveolar (p < 0.05), and mandibular body territories (p > 0.05) but increased ramus (p > 0.05) and nasopremaxillary territories (p < 0.05). According to Ricketts’ analysis, mandibular width was decreased in half of our patients (p > 0.05). The mandibles were harmoniously downsized before and after the growth spurt (p < 0.05); however, they exhibited greater growth velocities than controls. A long-term study during puberty revealed an increase in SNB angles and a decrease in ANB angles (both p < 0.05), which improved the maxillomandibular relationship. Additionally, the vertical facial pattern attenuated (FMA, SNGoGn, and CoGoMe angles decreased; p > 0.05). On cross-sectional photographic analysis, 33.3% of patients had an orthofrontal (straight), 59.4% a cisfrontal (convex), and 7.3% a transfrontal (concave) profile. Their vertical facial proportions were normal. In the subjective profile analysis, most patients (approximately 84%) had good or acceptable profiles, with no major deficit of chin projection. The initial degree of neonatal retrognathia and type of cleft palate surgery did not affect major skeletal parameters (p > 0.05). However, the degree of neonatal functional impairment affected the vertical parameters (SNGoGn, FMA angle; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Overall, RS patients presented a bi-retrognathic profile, a normal jaw relationship, and a tendency toward a vertical growth pattern. Partial mandibular catch-up growth occurred during the pubertal growth spurt. The degree of neonatal retrognathia does not predict further mandibular growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Paediatric Sleep Medicine (2nd Edition))
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11 pages, 1502 KB  
Article
Clinical Evaluation of an AI-Based Prototype for Contactless Respiratory Monitoring in Children
by Ludwig Maximilian Seebauer, Marcel Geis, Niklas Alexander Köhler, Claudius Nöh, Jochen Frey, Volker Groß, Keywan Sohrabi and Sebastian Kerzel
Children 2026, 13(2), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020232 - 6 Feb 2026
Viewed by 498
Abstract
Background: Pediatric respiratory disorders frequently necessitate clinical evaluation, often during sleep. Traditional polysomnography (PSG), while the gold standard for sleep-related respiratory assessment, is resource-intensive and can cause discomfort, particularly in children. Therefore, in a prior published study, we designed and technically validated a [...] Read more.
Background: Pediatric respiratory disorders frequently necessitate clinical evaluation, often during sleep. Traditional polysomnography (PSG), while the gold standard for sleep-related respiratory assessment, is resource-intensive and can cause discomfort, particularly in children. Therefore, in a prior published study, we designed and technically validated a video-based prototype for contactless monitoring of respiratory movements. Objective: Our present study aimed to clinically validate the contactless monitoring prototype in pediatric patients, with a primary focus on detecting respiratory rate and identifying abnormal breathing patterns. Methods: Twenty-seven pediatric patients (aged 6 months to 12 years) were recruited from a pediatric sleep laboratory. To monitor thoracoabdominal movements in real time, the prototype employed a time-of-flight camera and a 3D imaging module, coupled with artificial-intelligence-based determination of the region of interest (ROI). Respiratory rates obtained from the prototype were compared to simultaneously recorded PSG data. Data were collected under various conditions, including different sleeping positions. A total of 296 h of respiratory data were acquired, of which selected 60 s segments (54 during N3 sleep and 27 during REM sleep) were analyzed using the prototype and compared with PSG-derived respiratory parameters. Conclusion: The contactless prototype demonstrates that reliable and non-invasive respiratory monitoring is feasible in pediatric patients. It enables accurate detection of respiratory rate as well as abnormal breathing patterns under routine clinical conditions, while reducing patient burden compared with conventional approaches. Its usability and minimal patient discomfort suggest potential for broader clinical adoption. Future work should focus on full-night recordings across all sleep stages and the development of automated data analysis pipelines to facilitate routine clinical implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Paediatric Sleep Medicine (2nd Edition))
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Review

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12 pages, 1322 KB  
Review
Sleep and Cytokines: A Bidirectional Dialogue Involving Rest and Immunity
by Ignazio Cammisa, Margherita Zona, Giorgia Petracca, Eleonora Rulli, Chiara Veredice, Clelia Cipolla and Donato Rigante
Children 2026, 13(4), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13040535 - 12 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1440
Abstract
Sleep is a cardinal biological process that backstops central nervous system function, which also plays a crucial role in regulating systemic homeostasis, including immune activities. Cytokines, particularly interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, act as mediators bridging sleep and inflammation, also influencing both sleep [...] Read more.
Sleep is a cardinal biological process that backstops central nervous system function, which also plays a crucial role in regulating systemic homeostasis, including immune activities. Cytokines, particularly interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, act as mediators bridging sleep and inflammation, also influencing both sleep architecture and sleep–wake cycle. Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy, hypersomnia, or obstructive sleep apnoea may disrupt cytokine production, alter their circadian rhythm of release, and shift secretion peaks from night to day. These changes contribute to daytime fatigue, impaired cognitive and physical performance, increased susceptibility to infections and/or systemic inflammation. Molecular studies indicate that insufficient sleep primes immune cells to enhance pro-inflammatory responses, creating a feedback loop with neuroendocrine pathways that further exacerbates sleep patterns and inflammatory dysregulation. Understanding the bidirectional relationship between sleep and cytokines may highlight the role of sleep as an active component of immunity regulation and underscore the potential usefulness of multilevel interventions that include complementary and integrative health approaches restoring sleep, normalizing cytokine rhythms and mitigating inflammation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Paediatric Sleep Medicine (2nd Edition))
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Other

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12 pages, 630 KB  
Case Report
A Clinical Practice Example of Smith–Magenis Syndrome in the Neuropediatric Clinic: Etiology, Clinical Presentation, Diagnostics and Therapeutic Approaches—A Case Report
by Oleksandr Shevchenko
Children 2026, 13(2), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020179 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 717
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Smith–Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a rare neurogenetic disorder caused by a microdeletion in chromosome region 17p11.2 or by pathogenic variants in the RAI1 gene. The syndrome is characterized by a distinctive neurobehavioral profile, including cognitive deficits, sleep disturbances, self-injurious behavior, and typical [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Smith–Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a rare neurogenetic disorder caused by a microdeletion in chromosome region 17p11.2 or by pathogenic variants in the RAI1 gene. The syndrome is characterized by a distinctive neurobehavioral profile, including cognitive deficits, sleep disturbances, self-injurious behavior, and typical dysmorphic features. A characteristic diagnostic hallmark is paradoxical melatonin secretion, with increased daytime levels instead of the normal nocturnal peak. This article aims to summarize current knowledge on the etiology, diagnostics, EEG findings, therapy, and prognosis of SMS from a neuropediatric perspective. Methods: A narrative review of the literature on Smith–Magenis syndrome was conducted, focusing on genetic background, clinical features, diagnostic approaches, EEG characteristics, therapeutic strategies, and prognosis. In addition, a detailed clinical case of a 16-year-old female patient with SMS is presented. Results: The reviewed data confirm that SMS is associated with characteristic neurobehavioral abnormalities and sleep–wake rhythm disturbances. EEG findings may include epileptiform activity without overt epilepsy. In the presented case, “Rolandic-type” spike–sharp wave complexes were observed on EEG and are interpreted as an expression of congenital disturbances in brain maturation processes. Therapeutic recommendations addressing behavioral symptoms and sleep regulation are discussed. Conclusions: Smith–Magenis syndrome represents a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with distinctive clinical, neurophysiological, and genetic features. Early recognition of characteristic signs, including sleep disturbances and EEG abnormalities, is essential for appropriate management. A multidisciplinary, individualized therapeutic approach may improve quality of life and long-term outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Paediatric Sleep Medicine (2nd Edition))
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18 pages, 562 KB  
Systematic Review
Behavioral Patterns in Preschool and School-Aged Children with Snoring and Sleep-Disordered Breathing: A Scoping Review
by Diego Monteiro de Carvalho, Carlos Maurício de Almeida, Vinícius Bacelar Ferreira, David Abraham Batista da Hora, Leticia Azevedo Soster, Letícia Rodrigues Nunes Pinheiro and Jefferson Macêdo Dantas
Children 2025, 12(12), 1614; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12121614 - 27 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1600
Abstract
Objective: This scoping review aims to map the scientific literature of the last five years to characterize behavioral patterns in children with snoring and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), ranging from primary snoring (PS) to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The review seeks to [...] Read more.
Objective: This scoping review aims to map the scientific literature of the last five years to characterize behavioral patterns in children with snoring and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), ranging from primary snoring (PS) to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The review seeks to identify the main diagnostic and assessment methods, differentiate the behavioral findings between PS and OSAS where possible, and pinpoint key research gaps. Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS, and SciELO databases were searched in April 2024 for observational studies published between 2019 and 2024 that addressed the coexistence of snoring and behavioral changes in the pediatric population. Only articles in English, Spanish, or Portuguese were analyzed. Data were charted and analyzed thematically to map the scope of the evidence. Results: The initial search yielded 129 articles, with 22 ultimately included in the final analysis. The findings reveal profound methodological heterogeneity. While questionnaires are universally applied (n = 22), polysomnography (n = 21) remains the gold standard for SDB diagnosis. Behavioral assessments were inconsistent, identifying a broad spectrum of externalizing (e.g., hyperactivity, aggression) and internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression) problems, with no clear predominant pattern. Obesity and Down’s syndrome were the most frequently associated comorbidities. Conclusions: The literature reaffirms the strong correlation between SDB and adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in children. This association is present in primary snoring but is most pronounced in children with diagnosed OSAS. However, progress is constrained by a lack of standardization and, critically, a frequent failure to differentiate between PS and OSAS, which hinders clinical interpretation and evidence synthesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances in Paediatric Sleep Medicine (2nd Edition))
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