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CPAP vs High-Flow Nasal Cannula for Treating Sleep Apnea in Children

NCT07600333 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 258

Last updated 2026-05-20

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study is looking at two different treatments for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. OSA is a sleep condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, which can affect a child's health, behavior, learning, and quality of life.

Children with moderate-to-severe OSA who cannot be treated with surgery are often prescribed Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). CPAP uses a mask worn during sleep to deliver pressurized air and keep the airway open. Although CPAP is effective, many children have difficulty using it regularly because it can feel uncomfortable or hard to tolerate.

This study compares CPAP with another treatment called High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC). HFNC delivers warm, humidified air through soft nasal prongs and may be more comfortable and easier for children to use while still helping keep the airway open during sleep.

Children aged 2 to 18 years with moderate-to-severe OSA will be randomly assigned to use either CPAP or HFNC at home during sleep for 3 months. The study will measure how much each treatment is used, how well it improves sleep-related symptoms and quality of life, how comfortable it is for children, and how it affects caregivers.

The goal of this study is to find out whether HFNC is a comfortable and effective alternative to CPAP for treating obstructive sleep apnea in children.

Conditions

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Interventions

DEVICE

High Flow Nasal Cannula

High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) therapy delivers warmed, humidified air at high flow rates through soft nasal prongs during sleep to support upper airway patency in children with obstructive sleep apnea. The therapy is used nightly at home, with flow settings optimized according to standard clinical care and overnight sleep study titration.

DEVICE

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy delivers pressurized air through a nasal or oronasal mask worn during sleep to maintain upper airway patency and treat obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP therapy is used nightly at home, with pressure settings optimized according to standard clinical care and overnight sleep study titration.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Fisher and Paykel Healthcare

    collaborator INDUSTRY

  • The Hospital for Sick Children

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Indra Narang · The Hospital for Sick Children

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
2 Years
Max Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-01
Primary Completion
2031-11-30
Completion
2031-12-31

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07600333 on ClinicalTrials.gov