Ventilatory control instability and paediatric sleep disordered breathing: novel insights from assessment across infancy and childhood

Pauses in breathing that occur commonly during sleep in children can be detrimental to the developing brain and other body systems. A better understanding of the mechanisms behind these sleep-related pauses in breathing is needed to improve their detection and treatment. This thesis examines the role of one such mechanism, instability in the feedback loop that controls breathing, in relation to two types of breathing pauses that occur during sleep in three different populations of children. The findings from this thesis will help clarify the role of this mechanism in children and help develop more targeted treatment options.