Childhood obstructive sleep apnea: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment – Omaha World-Herald

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when a childs breathing becomes partially or completely blocked repeatedly during sleep due to the narrowing or blockage of the upper airway.

Risk factors of developing obstructive sleep apnea include enlarged tonsils or adenoids, being overweight/obese, certain medical conditions, such as Downs syndrome or cerebral palsy, defects in the structure of the mouth, jaw or throat, or family history.

It is estimated that 1 to 4 percent of children suffer from sleep apnea, with many of those cases in children ages 2 to 8. While there is a possibility that your child may outgrow his or her sleep disorder, growing evidence is showing that untreated sleep disorders can have a heavy toll on certain executive functions of the brain, such as cognitive flexibility, self-monitoring, planning, organization or self-regulation on affect and arousal.

In fact, studies have suggested that as many as 23 percent of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may actually exhibit symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, which may contribute to many of their learning difficulties and behavior problems.

What are the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea?

Your child may show signs of obstructive sleep apnea both during the night and during the day. Nighttime symptoms of sleep apnea may include:

Loud snoring on a regular basis

Having pauses, gasps, snorts and actual stoppage of breath

Being woken by gasps or snorts

Restless sleeping or sleeping in abnormal positions with the head in an unusual position

Heavy sweating while asleep due to effort of trying to breathe smoothly

Nighttime accidents (bed-wetting, Enuresis)

Symptoms shown during the day can be both physical and behavioral, such as:

Difficulty waking in the morning

Headaches throughout the day, especially in the morning

Irritable, agitated, aggressive and cranky behavior in school and socially

Nasal sounding voice and breathing regularly through the mouth

Tiredness during the day, causing sleep or daydreams

Difficulty concentrating

How is obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed?

Your doctor will evaluate your childs symptoms and upper airway. A sleep study, known as a polysomnogram, may be recommended. This allows doctors to check for obstructive sleep apnea and record bodily functions during sleep.

To conduct the polysomnogram, a technician will place electrical sensors in a few locations on your childs body with a mild adhesive. The sensors are wired to a computer to provide information about eye movements, heart rate, breathing patterns, brain waves, blood oxygen level, snoring and other noises, body movement and sleep positions

How is obstructive sleep apnea treated?

The most common treatment for childhood sleep apnea is an adenotonsillectomy, which is the removal of the adenoids and tonsils. Enlarged adenoids and tonsils may make it challenging to breathe at night, and removal can help open the upper airway. Due to post-operative swelling, symptoms may persist for about a week after the procedure but then typically clear up.

Another treatment is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy. Your child wears a mask that covers the mouth and nose during sleep. The mask is connected to a machine that continuously pumps air into it to open the airways.

Oral appliances are helpful in some cases, especially in children whose facial bone growth is largely complete. If your child is overweight, your doctor may recommend a weight management plan that involves nutritional, physical and behavioral elements.

Dr. Heather Gomes of Boys Town Ear, Nose and Throat Institute wrote this guest blog for momaha.com.To learn more about Dr. Gomes, click here.

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Childhood obstructive sleep apnea: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment - Omaha World-Herald