Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR THIS SITE.THANKS.Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing is common in children. From 3 percent to 12 percent of children snore, while obstructive sleep apnea syndrome affects 1 percent to 10 percent of children. However care must be taken to note that not all snoring in children is as a result of this condition. Most times when children have cold, then breathe with their mouth and could tend to snore. Mothers should always ensure that their children are well wrapped up during cold periods.
Majority of children with the above condition do have mild symptoms, and many outgrow the condition. Consequences of untreated obstructive sleep apnea include failure to thrive, enuresis (bedwetting), attention-deficit disorder, behavior problems, poor academic performance, and cardiopulmonary disease. The most common etiology(cause) of obstructive sleep apnea is adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Clinical diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is reliable; however, the gold standard evaluation is overnight polysomnography. Treatment includes the use of continuous positive airway pressure and weight loss in obese children. These alternatives are tolerated poorly in children and rarely are considered primary therapy. Adenotonsillectomy is curative in most patients. Children with craniofacial syndromes, neuromuscular diseases, medical co morbidities, or severe obstructive sleep apnea, and those younger than three years are at increased risk of developing postoperative complications and should be monitored overnight in the hospital.PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR THIS SITE.THANKS.
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Tags: apnea, children, clinical diagnosis, diseases, obstructive sleep, sleep disorders, snoring, treatment
Kids and Teens | Churchill Rayce July 2, 2009
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