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Clinical practice

Sleep problems during infancy

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Abstract

Sleep problems are very prevalent during infancy. The most common problems are those related to night wakings and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Most common night waking problems do not have identified physiologic etiology. Their causes appear to be behavioral or developmental by nature, and they usually respond well to behavioral interventions. SDB may result from a variety of anatomic and neurologic factors and is associated with a variety of medical and developmental disorders. Because of the high prevalence of sleep problems during infancy, their persistence, their potential adverse developmental effects, and the positive treatment outcomes, pediatricians should serve as the primary address for screening and referral to proper assessment and treatment.

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Abbreviations

SDB:

Sleep-disordered breathing

PSG:

Polysomnography

GER:

Gastroesophageal reflux

OSA:

Obstructive sleep apnea

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no financial conflict of interest to report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Adler Center for Research in Child Development and Psychopathology, Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Avi Sadeh

  2. Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Dana Children’s Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Yakov Sivan

Authors
  1. Avi Sadeh
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  2. Yakov Sivan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Avi Sadeh.

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Sadeh, A., Sivan, Y. Clinical practice. Eur J Pediatr 168, 1159–1164 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-009-0982-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-009-0982-4

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