Clinical Pediatrics: Open Access
Open Access

Sleep disturbances and childhood cancer survivors; what we know and what we need to learn

28^th International Conference on Pediatric Nursing & Healthcare

September 04-05, 2017 | Edinburgh, Scotland

Kathy Ruble

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Clin Pediatr

Abstract :

Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for many long-term complications including neurocognitive deficits, impaired quality of life (QOL) and poor cardiovascular outcomes. Co-morbid sleep disturbances are emerging as another longterm complication which may moderate these other, more conventional, complications. The purpose of this presentation is to review the literature on sleep disturbances in childhood cancer survivors and discuss their potential role in moderating other long-term complications including neurocognitive function, QOL and cardiovascular health. We will present the results of our published research revealing that 23% of survivors report clinically significant disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep; and sleep disturbances were associated with anxiety, stress and diminished school QOL in the population studied. In addition, the methodology (in-home electroencephalogram) and interim results of our new study examining the association of sleep architecture and neurocognitive function in 8-12 year old survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia will be presented. Sleep disturbances in survivors may play and important role in moderating long-term complications. Furthermore sleep disturbances in childhood are amenable to behavioral and complementary medicine interventions. Appropriate assessment and treatment of sleep disturbances in survivors may improve health and QOL outcomes in this vulnerable population.