Sally Ibrahim, M.D. Leads New Study in Sleep for Children with Downs Syndrome

UH Research & Education Update | November 2020

Sally Ibrahim, MD, UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital Sleep Lab Medical Director, is a triple-boarded physician in internal medicine, pediatrics, and sleep medicine for children and adults. Being able to care for the entire age spectrum gives her a valuable advantage, she says. Dr. Ibrahim is also the Medical Director, Pediatric Sleep Center, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Sally Ibrahim, MD

Dr. Ibrahim earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch Medical School and completed residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics at MetroHealth Medical Center here in Cleveland. Following her fellowship training in sleep medicine at Cleveland Clinic, she practiced on staff there for 12 years before joining UH in September of 2019.

“One of the things that attracted me to the UH program was the value placed in a child-friendly sleep lab,” she says. “Our pediatric sleep center is uniquely positioned to accommodate all children, even those with behavioral and intellectual challenges. Our program promotes sleep technologist training of pediatric-specific needs so that the sleep study procedure is tolerated even among typically developing children. Our program is currently the only program in Cleveland that offers child life services on the night of the sleep study procedure on a case-by-case basis. Child life services can assist more anxious, and behaviorally challenged children to tolerate the sleep study procedure for a successful night.”

The UH Sleep Center is growing for adult and pediatric services. The center is finding new ways to serve patients, such as online scheduling and increased patient access to sleep medicine specialists and services. Dr. Ibrahim and her colleague, Kristie Ross, MD, are the principal investigators of a new research study to observe breathing, sleep, and behavior in children with Down Syndrome (DS) before and after treatment for Sleep Disordered Breathing (SBD). Our study is called Healthy Sleep for Children with Down Syndrome (HELP_DS). The study requires three in-person study visits at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Participation is entirely voluntary, and participants can withdraw at any time. Treatment will be recommended as part of the clinical care and will not be part of this research study. 

If you are interested in learning more about this study, contact the research coordinator, Erica Denallo, by phone 216-286-7453 or by email at Erica.denallo@uhhospitals.org. To learn more about all studies at University Hospitals, click visit our website at the UH Clinical Research Center.