When you think of sleep apnea, you might be thinking only of large adult males, but there can be sleep apnea in children and it isn’t nearly as rare as you might think. Usually, this occurs in children who are between the ages of three to six and it can be just as frightening in children as it is in adults. When it is left undiagnosed and untreated, these children can suffer from learning disabilities, poor performance in school and mood and behavior problems. Children who suffer with this condition may also have trouble interacting with other students and experience delays in development. Some children with this condition also experience high blood pressure and heart problems.

The cause of sleep apnea in children usually has to do with enlarged tonsils and adenoids which can sometimes be infected. For other children, the causes of this sleeping disorder have more to do with the structure of the face that causes the airway to become narrow. Some children are born with larger tongues than others and smaller throat openings. Sometimes, children who suffer with sleep apnea have problems such as Down Syndrome and have poor muscle tone in their nose, jaw and mouth.

Once in a while, sleep apnea in children can be caused from such problems as tumors which may be blocking the airway and reducing the muscle tone of the throat. Rarely, obesity in children has been shown to be a cause of sleep apnea, as well.

Some of the symptoms of sleep apnea in children include loud snoring, however, it’s important for parents to look for other symptoms because lots of children snore. Look for problems such as being a mouth breather, wetting the bed, sleeping in strange positions, sweating while sleeping, extreme tiredness during the day, inability to pay attention, feelings of aggression in children and overall behavior problems. Some of these children may not do well in school or have learning problems and be small for their age.

Children with sleep apnea tend to be thinner and may even lose weight. The reason for this is due to the obstruction in the airway which could be making eating difficult. Also, children with sleep apnea have abnormal breathing patterns, so it is likely that they burn calories at a higher rate.

Often, children with sleep apnea can have their tonsils and adenoids removed and find that the symptoms disappear completely after the surgery and this is a common treatment for many sleep apnea in children. Other treatments for this condition include continuous positive airway pressure, which includes the use of a nose mask and a machine to feed the child pressurized air.

Sleep apnea in children is very common, though much more difficult to recognize or diagnose. In adults there are given traits that point towards the possibility that they may have this affliction, but they are harder to find in children. Nonetheless, careful observation at home and thorough medical evaluation could result in the correct diagnosis.

Some of the signs that help with the diagnosis of sleep apnea in children are,

• loud snoring
• breathing through open mouth on a regular basis when asleep
• visibly enlarged adenoids and tonsils
• constant sleepiness during the day time
• problematic behavior such as sudden aggressiveness, inattentiveness, restlessness, etc.

Is your child suffering from any of the above symptoms? If yes, do not hesitate to immediately take the child to an ENT specialist for careful evaluation. In case of doubt, the doctor might ask you to carry out a test called polysomnography which would be very helpful in zeroing in on the correct diagnosis.

Sleep apnea in children is very dangerous; in fact it can be fatal. If you have the slightest doubt that your child is suffering from this problem, keep the child under very close observation, until you consult a specialist.

The Treatment For The Sleep Apnea In Children

Is your child overweight? This could be one of the main factors that contribute to the sleep apnea condition. Ensure that you take measures to have the child’s weight reduced. Sleep apnea in children could also be triggered by allergies – so monitor any allergies in the child. If you identify the factor, ensure that it is removed from the vicinity of the child.

Another factor that leads to this problem in children, is highly enlarged adenoids and tonsils. If these are found to perpetuate the condition, it would be advisable to have these surgically removed. These medical interventions are termed as tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, or as commonly known, T&A.

The good news is that though it is a little difficult to diagnose the sleep apnea condition with children, once it diagnosed, the treatment is swift and sure. The child would be back to normal in a matter of days, provided there are no complications, or undue infections. Overall it is easier to cure this problem in children than adults.

In a recent study carried out at the Hopkin’s Children’s Centre in Baltimore, 31 children between the ages of 6 and 16 (19 of whom had been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea) were examined with a special type or magnetic resonance imager (MRI) and it was discovered that those children with sleep apnea showed significant changes in the hippocampus and right frontal cortex which are parts of the brain which are associated with learning and higher mental function.

This same study also discovered that these kids were suffering from altered levels of three brain chemicals which indicated brain damage. This change to the chemistry of the brain resulting from the presence of sleep apnea may or may not be lasting and, at this point, further studies are required to see whether or not this effect can be reversed.

Even if reversal is possible however and the brain chemistry and cognitive function can be normalized, kids who have sleep apnea are going to suffer learning problems as long as they have untreated sleep apnea and certainly cannot rewind time and recapture this period of learning.

Of course, parents should already be looking out for signs of sleep apnea in their children but this study clearly indicates that an early diagnosis and treatment of this sleep problem might have a considerable affect on your child’s success in later life.

The signs of sleep apnea include numerous pauses in breathing during sleep that often result in an arousal from sleep and tossing and turning in bed. Children might also display loud or labored breathing, snoring, gasping, coughing and, sometimes, bed wetting at an age when should generally have passed.

Parents can also see that a child is sleeping in an unusual position, perhaps with their bottom sticking up in the air and with their head tilted back in an effort to keep their airway clear.

In the majority of cases child sleep apnea can be effectively treated by removing the tonsils and adenoids, or excess tissue from the nose or the back of the throat. Additionally, a CPAP machine (or pediatric CPAP) may also be used to give the child an airflow delivered using a mask worn during sleep to keep the airway open.

In itself child sleep apnea is incapacitating for any child and the effect of night after night of poor quality sleep will take their toll on your child. However, when this is combined with an impairment of your child’s IQ, it is imperative that you act as soon as you can to get this condition diagnosed and treated.

Recent research has shown that bed wetting and sleep apnea can be an associated problem. This condition causes the throat muscles to relax and obstructs adequate airflow. Children who snore and wet the bed may be suffering from a form of sleep apnea and you may be pleasantly surprised knowing this condition can be successfully cured.

The Relationship Involving Bed Wetting and Sleep Apnea

Understanding the relationship between these two conditions, on bed wetting and sleep apnea may help clarify issues. Bed wetting, medically known as enuresis, is a common problem that usually goes away as the child ages. Around sixteen percent of five-year-old children wet the bed, but that number goes down to five percent for ten-year-olds. This condition is seen more in boys than in girls and may run in families.

Some of the major causes of bed wetting are people having a very small bladder or the growth of the nerves that control the bladder function are slower in developing. Effective treatments have included an alarm system with wires that attach to the pajamas or underwear. A noise is made when moisture is detected. The sleeping child develops an awareness of bladder control. If the child both wets the bed and snores, sleep apnea should be considered a causative factor.

Obstructive sleep apnea can cause a child to snore, as the airflow is restricted in the throat. The child will therefore have a restless night and be excessively tired during the day. Morning headaches and trouble concentrating in school may also be seen. Researchers feel that the connection between bed wetting and sleep apnea is based on the chemical imbalance that happens in the brain. When the brain isn’t able to receive a steady input of oxygen, this creates a situation where the signals from the bladder are not properly received.

These conditions result is bed wetting. The primary cause of this type of sleep apnea is large adenoids. When the adenoids are removed, the snoring stops, the breathing improves and the bed wetting situation is resolved. It should be noted that generally only a small percentage of children both snore and wet their beds.

In conclusion if there is a connection between the two situations, parents should not immediately consider surgery as the only option until a definite cause and effect relationship has been established. Bed wetting often stops when a child is older, but if there are any symptoms of sleep apnea it is recommended that you discuss them with your doctor.

There is usually an answer to bed wetting and sleep apnea associated problems and your doctor is the specialist who can help you make treatment decisions.