Oro-myofunctional Characteristics and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Infants With Down Syndrome

NCT ID: NCT07195253

Last Updated: 2025-09-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

30 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-10-31

Study Completion Date

2027-10-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is characterised by repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep, inducing breathing disturbances that can result in oxygen desaturation and frequent arousals. In children, OSA can have long-term consequences on the development and on the cardiovascular system.

Down Syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability and many comorbidities. The prevalence of OSA is particularly high in patients with DS, from infancy. In a recent study by Fauroux et al. (2024), OSA was diagnosed in 97% infants and early diagnosis and intervention from the age of 6 months was associated with better neurocognitive outcome at 3 years old. However, polysomnography (PSG - the gold standard method for diagnosing OSA) is poorly accessible, highlighting the need to develop new strategies to prevent and to screen OSA early in infancy.

OSA can be linked to some orofacial abnormalities presented by patients with DS. Indeed, orofacial functions and structures ca play a crucial role in OSA. For example, nose breathing allows the tongue to act as a stimulator of the transverse maxillary growth during childhood, allowing the upper airway to develop properly.

The primary objective of the present study is to explore the relationships between oro-myo-facial functions, more specifically non-nutritive sucking, and the severity of OSA in 6 months old infants with DS.

The main hypothesis is that OSA severity (estimated by the obstructive apnea hypopnea index on PSG) will be negatively correlated to non-nutritive sucking performance.

Data from this study could help developing easily accessible protocols for OSA screening based on simple sucking recording. Some interventions could also be tested to prevent OSA from the beginning of life, like an innovative pacifier recently developed by a French start-up to stimulate nose breathing and to promote correct positioning of the tongue.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21)

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Infants with Down Syndrome

6 month-old infants with Down Syndrome recorded by polysomnography

Polysomnography (PSG) to explore OSA

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Patients will undergo full-night PSG (including electrocardiogram to monitor heart rate and the JAWAC system to record mandibular movements) in the sleep unit of Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant (Bron, France) to explore OSA, included in the routine care of children with DS.

OSA diagnosis will be made based on the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) resulting from the PSG. OSA will be diagnosed when OAHI ≥1.5/hour.

Oro-myo-functional clinical evaluation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Orofacial myofunctional evaluation will be conducted by a physiotherapist according to the OMES-E (Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Scores for Nursing Infants).

Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children

Intervention Type OTHER

The Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children is a short questionnaire answered by parents about their child's sleep disorders.

Total score and scores for each sleep disorder will be calculated, according to the classical procedures during hospitalization of all children in our sleep unit.

Non-nutritive sucking recording

Intervention Type OTHER

Non-nutritive sucking performance will be recorded through an experimental method using a classical pacifier, equipped with pressure sensors. Recording will last about 10 minutes. Variables related to sucking performance (maximum amplitude, frequency of sucking bursts, etc.) will be recorded.

Neurocognitive evaluation

Intervention Type OTHER

The Brunet-Lézine test will be administered by a neuropsychologist. Global score will be calculated along with its four subscores (posture, hand-eye coordination, language, sociability).

PedsQL-Infants

Intervention Type OTHER

The PedsQL-Infants questionnaire is designed to evaluate quality of life in infants. It will be given to parents during their child's hospitalization.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Polysomnography (PSG) to explore OSA

Patients will undergo full-night PSG (including electrocardiogram to monitor heart rate and the JAWAC system to record mandibular movements) in the sleep unit of Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant (Bron, France) to explore OSA, included in the routine care of children with DS.

OSA diagnosis will be made based on the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) resulting from the PSG. OSA will be diagnosed when OAHI ≥1.5/hour.

Intervention Type DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Oro-myo-functional clinical evaluation

Orofacial myofunctional evaluation will be conducted by a physiotherapist according to the OMES-E (Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Scores for Nursing Infants).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children

The Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children is a short questionnaire answered by parents about their child's sleep disorders.

Total score and scores for each sleep disorder will be calculated, according to the classical procedures during hospitalization of all children in our sleep unit.

Intervention Type OTHER

Non-nutritive sucking recording

Non-nutritive sucking performance will be recorded through an experimental method using a classical pacifier, equipped with pressure sensors. Recording will last about 10 minutes. Variables related to sucking performance (maximum amplitude, frequency of sucking bursts, etc.) will be recorded.

Intervention Type OTHER

Neurocognitive evaluation

The Brunet-Lézine test will be administered by a neuropsychologist. Global score will be calculated along with its four subscores (posture, hand-eye coordination, language, sociability).

Intervention Type OTHER

PedsQL-Infants

The PedsQL-Infants questionnaire is designed to evaluate quality of life in infants. It will be given to parents during their child's hospitalization.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

(infants with Down Syndrome)

* Aged 6 months (±3 weeks)
* Diagnosed with Trisomy 21
* Affiliated to a social security scheme
* With informed consent of the 2 legal representatives

Exclusion Criteria

* Diagnosed with mosaic Down syndrome
* Born preterm (gestation age at birth \<37 weeks)
* Treated for OSA with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
* Known allergy to silicone
* Currently participating to an interventional study protocol implying an ongoing exclusion period from other studies
* Refusal from legal representatives.
Minimum Eligible Age

5 Months

Maximum Eligible Age

6 Months

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Hospices Civils de Lyon

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Service d'épileptologie clinique, des troubles du sommeil et de neurologie fonctionnelle de l'enfant

Bron, , France

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

France

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Patricia PF FRACO, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+33 4 27 85 60 52

Aurore GUYON, PHD

Role: CONTACT

+33 4 27 85 52 47

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Patricia PF FRANCO, MD/PHD

Role: primary

+33 4 27 85 60 52

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

69HCL25_0309

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Endotype DIrected Treatment for OSA in Down Syndrome
NCT07280468 NOT_YET_RECRUITING PHASE4
Down Syndrome Obstructive Sleep Apnea
NCT06043440 RECRUITING PHASE2
PAP for Children With DS and OSAS
NCT04132999 RECRUITING NA
Video-respiratory Polygraphy in Children
NCT06287333 NOT_YET_RECRUITING