A video score applied to polysomnography recordings for diagnosing pediatric obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) was previously described. Given the accessibility of smartphone home sleep video recordings (HSVR), this study aimed to assess the reliability of an HSVR-based scoring system for pediatric OSAHS diagnosis.

We conducted a prospective multicenter clinical trial. Children suspected of OSAHS without comorbidities underwent respiratory polygraphy (RP). Within four days before or after RP, parents recorded a 10-minute HSVR, marking the minute they perceived as worst for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing symptoms. A 10-minute (VS10) and 1-minute (VS1) video score were established using seven parameters and compared to clinical examination, a sleep questionnaire, and the obstructive-apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) from RP. The STROBE guidelines were followed.

Fifty-six children (mean age: 5.1 ± 1.6 years) were included. The VS10 ( n = 53) diagnosed OSAHS with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.61–0.90) and moderate-to-severe OSAHS with an AUC of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.74–0.97). The VS1 ( n = 26) diagnosed OSAHS with an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.46–0.96) and moderate-to-severe OSAHS with an AUC of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.64–0.99).

A smartphone HSVR-based video score shows promise for detecting OSAHS in children. Further studies with pre- and post-intervention comparisons could enhance its clinical utility.