New Guidelines for Snoring and Sleep Apnea in Children

New guidelines were issued recently by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasising the need to take snoring and sleep apnea seriously in children. Sleep apnea has been linked to many health conditions in adults, and more research is beginning to alert us to the dangers of this condition in children.

The AAP noted that sleep apnea can lead to “serious complications if left untreated” in children. Studies have shown that patients with sleep apnea have smaller hippocampuses, which is the area of the brain associated with memory. Many children with ADHD also have obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep is also important for normal growth and maturity. Many hormones including growth hormone are released during sleep.

The AAP suggested the following:

  1. All children be screened for snoring at their routine check ups.
  2. Children with signs of disordered sleep breathing such as “habitual snoring, disturbed sleep from intermittent pauses, snorts or gasps, or daytime behavioral problems” should be referred for further testing such as sleep studies.
  3. Obstructive sleep apnea in children with enlarged tonsils indicates the need to consult with a surgeon to review whether surgery is necessary.
  4. If surgery is performed, the children should be reassessed to ensure that the sleep apnea has resolved.
  5. Failure to improve after surgery or the inability to have surgery can indicate the need for CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) breathing machines.
  6. Children who are overweight need to lose weight in addition to considering other treatments.

It is hoped that these new guidelines will make more general physicians aware of the prevalence and risks of sleep apnea in children, allowing earlier detection and therefore prevention of problems.

Dr. Vikas Jain, a sleep specialist at Integris Health in Oklahoma City says “The sooner we can diagnose a child with this condition, the sooner we can get these kids started on the right treatments to improve their quality of life and their overall health.”

Sleep Apnea Much More Common in Women Than Thought

Conventional wisdom holds that sleep apnea is more of a problem amongst men, but research is suggesting that it is just as common amongst women. This gender bias may be because snoring is one of the more common signs of sleep apnea. But in actual fact sleep apnea is a serious problem that affects men and women of all races, and can affect children as well. Read the rest of this entry »