Sleep apnea is a health condition where the normal airway of a person collapses or may even become blocked, during sleep. The patient will stop breathing for ten seconds or more, while sleeping, after which the brain will send signals to wake up and normal breathing will be resumed with a loud snore or a gasp. This can happen as many as thirty times per hour. Sleep apnea in children can be as critical in children as in adults.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children

Needless to say, sleep apnea can be quite taxing on the patient and it even has a number of serious health hazards. Unfortunately, this condition can also develop in some children. Obstructive sleep apnea is increasingly being recognized as the reason behind a number of behavioral and attention problems in children, nowadays.

The symptoms of sleep apnea in children are sometimes more difficult to recognize than those in adults. Unlike in adults, where patients of sleep apnea frequently wake up during night and are often overweight, the symptoms are not so simple and straight forward in children.

Though snoring is a common symptom of this condition, the fact is, you cannot isolate a sleep apnea condition based on this factor alone. This is because, as many as 10 to 20 percent of children snore – either regularly or in an intermittent basis. This is why, it is important that you recognize all the other symptoms of sleep apnea in children, like:

• Snoring (mentioned before)
• Breathing through the mouth
• An enlarged tonsil, as well as adenoids
• Weight loss or even difficulty to gain weight
• Feeling sleepy though the day and even during classes
• Lack of concentration while studying
• Aggressive behavior
• Hyperactivity
• Other cognitive problems

In children, sleep apnea can lead to a number of other problems. Since he may not be able to perform in school, he will be depressed. This can turn out to be quite serious, if the depression persists.

Children with sleep apnea are usually diagnosed with the help of characteristic symptoms and the physical evidence of enlarged tonsils and adenoids – also known as Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy. In case you suspect sleep apnea in a child, you should get it evaluated by a Pediatric ENT specialist, who will help you in further evaluation. In case further testing is necessary to diagnose the condition, a pediatric sleep study, or Polysomnography may be a great idea.

Things to know about apnea in children

If there is any underlying medical condition, apart from sleep apnea, they must be treated. Nasal obstruction can be taken care of with the help of nasal steroids. Surgery is often the best treatment for kids who have sleep apnea, where the enlarged tonsils and adenoids are put under the knife.

In obese children, treatment can be sometimes achieved through weight loss. Continuous positive airway passage is also a good way to treat apnea. It is important to note that children who have severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and other medical conditions like Craniofacial Syndromes or Neuromuscular diseases are in greater risk of developing postoperative complications. As such, they should be monitored in the hospital after the surgery.

Also note that children, who have Down syndrome, have a greater risk of developing sleep apnea. Craniofacial abnormalities, like Pierre Robin sequence, Treacher Collins syndrome and Crouzon syndrome and various neuromuscular and central nervous system abnormalities are also associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea in children.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea in children can be cured, if the symptoms are recognized. With proper care and guidance, children with sleep apnea can go on to live a happy and healthy life.