Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood has completed its first implant of the Inspire sleep apnea device in a teenager with Down syndrome, the hospital announced on Oct. 29. The hospital says its sleep center is now the only one in the region offering the therapy to these patients.

The announcement lands during Down Syndrome Awareness Month, which runs through October.

The problem it treats

Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the airway collapses during sleep, interrupting breathing again and again through the night. According to the hospital, nearly 60 percent of babies born with Down syndrome develop it, and the broken sleep can affect learning, attention, behavior and quality of life.

The usual first step is surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids. Many children still have sleep apnea afterward, and some cannot tolerate a CPAP machine, the mask-and-air-pressure therapy that is the standard alternative. Those families have had few options left.

How Inspire works

Inspire is an FDA-approved therapy built around a small device implanted during a minimally invasive procedure. It works inside the body by stimulating the hypoglossal nerve, and that gentle stimulation keeps the airway open during sleep. A patient or caregiver turns it on at bedtime with the press of a button on a small handheld remote.

The hospital cites a study of adolescents with Down syndrome in which about two-thirds of participants saw their apnea severity drop by at least 60 percent after the device was placed. Caregivers in that research reported 50 percent less daytime tiredness and better alertness and energy with consistent use.

Who performed it

Dr. Eamon McLaughlin, a community physician who treats adults within Memorial Healthcare System, performed the procedure with Joe DiMaggio specialists. The pediatric team included Dr. Aaron Willis, director of Sleep Medicine; Dr. Galia Napchan, associate medical director of Pediatric Pulmonary; and Dr. Thomas Schrepfer, a pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon. The hospital describes the pairing of adult surgical experience with pediatric specialists as a way to bring the treatment to families without sending them out of the area.

The milestone comes as the Joe DiMaggio Sleep Center marks its 12th year of accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Who qualifies

Inspire is FDA-approved for adolescents 13 and older with Down syndrome and severe obstructive sleep apnea whose symptoms were not resolved by tonsil and adenoid surgery and who cannot use CPAP. Eligibility depends on a full evaluation by specialists, including the severity of the apnea, and the hospital notes that not every adolescent with Down syndrome or sleep apnea will be a candidate.

How to ask about it

Families can reach Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital's pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine team at 954-265-6333 to ask about an evaluation. Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital is part of Memorial Healthcare System.

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