When is Snoring in Children Indicative of a Life Threatening Illness?

Snoring among children aged three to six is a common occurrence. Common childhood illnesses like colds, other upper respiratory tract infections, allergies, enlarged adenoids or tonsils can result in snoring even for children. According to researchers, around 10% to 20% of children snore. Determining early whether a child’s snoring is indicative of obstruction in the airway passages is relevant in preventing obstructive sleep apnea from taking the life of your child. Obstructive sleep apnea means that there is reduced flow of air at the nose and mouth during sleep. Lack of air can lead to poor circulation of oxygenated blood needed for proper tissue and organ performance. It poses a threat to your child’s health and should not be left unattended. It should be treated immediately once it is observed. Check with your pediatrician as soon as you notice signs and symptoms like continuous loud snoring, restless sleep with periods of absence in breathing, gagging while asleep.

During the daytime, the child may display difficulty in cognition, show behavioural problems like aggression and irritability, hyperactivity and excessive sleepiness. When cessation of breathing occurs for more than eight seconds and it is accompanied by loud snoring, your child might be in danger of developing poor blood circulation towards the brain and heart, resulting to other health complications. Similar with adults, obstructive sleep apnea can result to several health complications like growth retardation, headaches, and heart and lung problems. Behavioural problems would affect the child’s social activity and learning due to lack of sleep at night and fatigue during the day. If these symptoms are left unattended, the child will be at risk of becoming too ill because of the complications and may even lead to death.

There are several treatments available for obstructive sleep apnea. Surgery is the current treatment preferred by pediatricians. Sleep apnea surgery for children includes adenotonsillectomy or the removal of the adenoids and tonsils. A review of research studies from the Cochrane database of researchers has shown that considerable amount of investigation and clinical trials are conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of the procedures for children. As of 2010, the latest review conducted by a credible team of researchers within the Cochrane Collaboration group showed that strong evidence is still needed to support the use of adenotonsillectomy for children but there were also some data that produced positive results when only a part of the tonsils was removed. This procedure, referred to as temperature controlled radiofrequency tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy enabled the children to have a quicker recovery and immediate return to normal diet after surgery. Discuss with your child’s pediatrician regarding your sentiments and fears about the procedures involved in treating your sick child. Go over the steps with your doctor. Ask him question like the effects of partial and complete removal of the tonsils and adenoid glands in your child’s development. You may even ask about the length of the procedure and the length of the recovery for the child in either partial or complete form of sleep apnea surgery.

Snoring is a common thing among children and so is sleep apnea. Both become a health threat when there are symptoms present like the volume of the snore, the presence of labored breathing, and constant recurrence of periods of non breathing. Treatment procedures include partial or complete removal of the tonsils and adenoid glands as a remedy to sleep apnea. Surgery is the main treatment for obstructive sleep apnea or OSA among children. Evidence based researchers that have had significant peer reviews can help you decide on which sleep apnea surgery as treatment procedure is best for your child.

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