Sleep Apnoea in Children – Not as Uncommon as You May Think

Sleep Apnoea can affect children too, and even infants. Sleep Apnoea in children will cause similar symptoms that adults also experience such as snoring, difficulty breathing while asleep, irritability, weight loss, fatigue, lack of concentration, and behavioral problems. When kids sleep their muscles in the upper airways may relax and then sag, leading to blocked airways that prevent them from breathing.

When children can’t breathe, they will instinctively wake up or gasp for air while they sleep. If the child has Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, he may let out a loud snore or snorting sound. If he is already snoring, you might notice the snoring to be inconsistent. Intermittent snoring or breathing while asleep is a warning sign that the child is not breathing in and out at a regular pace. About two to three children in one hundred have OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. Not all children who snore have OSA though.

There are other symptoms that can tell you that a child has Sleep Apnoea. Other signs of OSA in children are behavioural problems, learning problems, and medical problems. Loud snoring is a classic sign of Sleep Apnoea. The child may make a chocking or gasping sound while he sleeps. He may become restless and sweat at night. He may also prop himself up high on pillows to keep his heads up. His mouth may remain open so he can breathe better.

Children may complain of headaches in the morning, lose their appetite and have a difficult time swallowing. They might feel tired often and have a difficult time coping in school. Some kids may feel sluggish while others will be the opposite and be hyperactive and aggressive. Bed-wetting is also a common symptom of kids with Sleep Apnoea.

Common Causes of Sleep Apnoea in Children

A common cause of Sleep Apnoea in children is the enlargement of adenoids behind the nose and enlargement of the tonsils at the back of the throat. A child’s tonsils and adenoids grow rapidly between the ages of two to seven. In extreme cases, removing the child’s tonsils and adenoids with surgery works to stop Sleep Apnoea in children 80% to 90% of the time. Sometimes the adenoids grow back and will require more surgery.

Other causes of Sleep Apnoea in children are obesity, long term hay fever or allergies, weak muscles associated with Down syndrome, and having a small jaw or flat face. If you think that your child has OSA or another type of Sleep Apnoea, you should have your child tested or go through a sleep study called a polysomnography. This test will confirm if your child really has the condition and what type of Sleep Apnoea he or she has.

 

Testing for Sleep Apnoea in Children

The polysomnography test is painless. There are no needles involved, only wires and sensors. These sensors at placed on the child’s head, face and limbs to test brain activity, blood oxygen level, and movement. There are also belts attached to the child’s chest and abdomen to monitor breathing. The sleep study will involve an overnight stay at a sleep clinic. Parents may accompany young children in his sleep unit while the tests are being performed. The tests are done while the child is asleep.
After the sleep study is completed, the sleep specialists can determine the best way to proceed with treatment if the tests come out positive. There are a number of causes and different forms of treatment for each.

 

Possible Treatment Option

If the OSA is caused by an enlarged tonsil or adenoids, then they can be removed surgically. Those who have Sleep Apnoea from obesity will need to diet or exercise and lose weight. The cases caused by chronic nasal allergies will have to go through a trial of mixed medical treatments.

In severe cases of Sleep Apnoea in children, a doctor may recommend a Continuous Positive Airways Pressure device or a CPAP, which will continuously clear the passage of air so that the child can breathe freely while he sleeps. Only a few children will ever need special complicated surgical procedures. Those who do have surgery like having tonsils and adenoids removed will have to return to the doctor for checkups to make sure that the surgery improved the child’s Sleep Apnoea condition.

Most children treated with surgery will get better but there will be a few children who will continue to snore and have difficulty breathing while they sleep. If this occurs with your children after surgery, be sure to inform your child’s sleep specialist. He may need additional tests and treatments. A child’s OSA or Sleep Apnoea must be diagnose and treated properly. Children will continue to have this condition till adulthood. Long term Sleep Apnoea may cause heart disease, stroke and other serious medical conditions later on.