Newswise — When your children show up for the first day of school, you'll want them to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but a poor night's rest because of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could send them to the back of the class.
Although obstructive sleep apnea, also known as sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), is a common and serious problem in adults, SDB in children has different causes, consequences, and treatments. The number one indicator of SDB is restless sleep and labored breathing. This includes loud snoring that occurs every night, regardless of sleep position; snoring is then followed by a complete or partial obstruction of breathing, with gasping and snorting noises.
Normally, 10 percent of the children are reported to snore. Ten percent of this group (or 1 percent of the total pediatric population) have obstructive sleep apnea, but it's estimated that a majority have restless sleep or obstructive sleep.
Why is this bad for my child?Sleep disordered breathing can lead to a host of symptoms that can negatively impact a child socially and academically.These include:"¢ Snoring: A problem if a child shares a room with a sibling and during sleepovers. "¢ Sleep deprivation: The child may become moody, inattentive, and disruptive both at home and at school. Classroom and athletic performance may decrease along with overall happiness. The child will lack energy, often preferring to sit in front of the television rather than participate in school and other activities. This may lead to obesity. "¢ Abnormal urine production: SDB also causes increased nighttime urine production, and in children, this may lead to bedwetting."¢ Growth: Growth hormone is secreted at night. Those with SDB may suffer interruptions in hormone secretion, resulting in slow growth or development. "¢ Attention deficit disorder (ADD) / attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): There are research findings that identify sleep disordered breathing as a contributing factor to attention deficit disorders.
The first step to diagnosing your child with SDB is observing that your child is snoring. Other helpful indications that a breathing obstruction is occurring include gasping, snorting, and thrashing in bed, as well as unexplained bedwetting. Social symptoms are difficult to diagnose but include alteration in mood, misbehavior, and poor school performance.
The most common treatment for SDB is the removal of the tonsils or adenoids, which is successful 90 percent of the time.
A child with suspected SDB should be evaluated by an otolaryngologist or head and neck surgeon.
For more information on pediatric sleep apnea and other issues affecting their children, parents can head to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery's Kids ENT website at http://www.entnet.org/KidsENT.
About the AAO-HNSThe American Academy of Otolaryngology " Head and Neck Surgery (www.entnet.org), one of the oldest medical associations in the nation, represents more than 12,000 physicians and allied health professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. The Academy serves its members by facilitating the advancement of the science and art of medicine related to otolaryngology and by representing the specialty in governmental and socioeconomic issues. The organization's mission: "Working for the Best Ear, Nose, and Throat Care."
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