Study results published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology show a connection between secondhand smoke and obstructive sleep apnea in children.

OSA has a relatively low prevalence in children (4%) compared with habitual snoring (10%). Few studies have assessed the role of SHS on OSA severity, and those that have demonstrate contradicting results.

The current retrospective, single-center, Institutional Review Board-approved study assessed the association between exposure to SHS and OSA severity in children between 3 and 18 years.

Data were obtained by querying Electronic Medical Records (EMR). Investigators analyzed SHS as a binary variable and OSA as a continuous variable, measured using OAHI from polysomnography (PSG) in all children.