Some parents think that a snoring child is cute and endearing, but it can be a sign of a condition known as childhood sleep apnea.
Most people have heard of the condition sleep apnea, but are unaware that childhood sleep apnea is a common ailment. Obstructive sleep disordered breathing in children includes symptoms like snoring and mouth breathing, and can be treated or cured if appropriately diagnosed.
An estimated three to twelve percent of children snore, while obstructive childhood sleep apnea syndrome affects one percent to ten percent of children. The majority of these children have mild symptoms, and many outgrow the condition even without treatment or intervention. However, consequences of untreated obstructive childhood sleep apnea include failure to thrive, enuresis, attention-deficit disorder, behavior problems, poor academic performance, and cardiopulmonary disease.
Clinical diagnosis of childhood sleep apnea is very reliable, and parents can rest assured that they will get an accurate diagnosis for their kids. However, a good diagnosis requires an overnight sleep study, called a polysomnography. For kids with childhood sleep apnea, this type of sleep study may be frightening and a parent may need to endure the same study in order to comfort the child by being in the room. If the child cannot fall asleep away from home, there is no way to monitor them for the sleep study, so a feeling of safety is key. Look for a sleep study center that caters to children with childhood sleep apnea.
Treatment of childhood sleep apnea includes the use of continuous positive airway pressure and weight loss in obese children. These alternatives are tolerated poorly in children and rarely are considered primary therapy. Adenotonsillectomy is curative in most patients, and highly recommended for kids with childhood sleep apnea. Children with craniofacial syndromes, neuromuscular diseases, medical comorbidities, or severe obstructive childhood sleep apnea, and those younger than three years are at increased risk of developing postoperative complications and should be monitored overnight in the hospital.