Childhood Sleep Apnea

Could My Child Have Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea can affect your child's sleep and behavior and if left untreated can lead to serious problems.

What is sleep apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when breathing is disrupted during sleep. This occurs when the airway is blocked, resulting in choking that causes a slower heart rate and increased blood pressure, alerting your child's brain and causing him to wake up.

What are the symptoms?
The first sign that your child may have sleep apnea is loud snoring that occurs regularly. You may also notice behavioral changes. Due to a lack of sleep, he or she may be cranky, have less energy, and have difficulty concentrating in school. School age children with sleep apnea are sometimes mistakenly diagnosed with ADD- attention deficit disorder.

What causes sleep apnea?
In children, sleep apnea can occur for several physical reasons, including enlarged tonsils and adenoids. These factors cause the airway to be blocked, resulting in vibration of the tonsils, or snoring. Overweight children are at increased risk for sleep apnea.

How is sleep apnea treated?
Because enlarged tonsils and adenoids are a common cause of sleep apnea in children, routine treatment often involves an adenotonsillectomy, an operation to remove the tonsils and adenoids. This is a routine operation with a 90 percent success rate. Studies showed that when children with sleep apnea were tested one to five months after their surgery, they showed extreme improvement in their sleep and behavior, and that these improvements remained nearly a year and a half later. This information is provided by the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Inc., (AAO-HNS) and the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Inc. (AAO-HNSF) for educational purposes only. Any information provided in this website should not be considered medical advice or a substitute for a consultation with an Otolaryngologist - Head and Neck surgeon or other physician.