The cause of serious problems, such as bedwetting, learning difficulties and behavioral disorders, can hide the constant and persistent snoring of children!

Indeed, persistent snoring and possible sleep apnea in children has been shown to warrant investigation as it disrupts sleep quality and is linked to other hidden conditions that can affect a child’s development and lead to behavioral, heart and lung problems.

First of all, parents should realize that snoring is not something completely innocent and harmless. They should then monitor if their child has persistent snoring and seek medical help if their child also:

• Has restless sleep
• He is tired in the morning
• It is hyperactive
• Has nocturnal enuresis
• Morning headaches
• Nightmares and interrupted breathing during sleep
• Growth retardation
• Poor speech development
• Learning disabilities and behavioral disorders

Statistics prove that obesity is a major predisposing factor. Heredity, Down’s syndrome, various neuromuscular diseases and allergic conditions play a smaller role, due to the swelling of the nasopharyngeal mucosa that they cause and the subsequent hypertrophy of the adenoids. Asthmatic children, as well as those whose parents smoke, have increased chances of suffering from sleep apnea.

Snoring is a relatively common condition. It is estimated that 12-13% of children aged 1-9 years snore almost every day or at least 3-4 nights a week and 2-3% of them suffer from sleep apnea. The noise of snoring is so intense that it is always noticed by the parents.

Occasional, temporary snoring can be experienced by all children, after colds, inflammations or allergic diseases of the nose and oropharynx, but without this being a particular problem

Indicative symptoms of sleep apnea

• Intense snoring that wakes the child from sleep
• The child stops breathing during sleep at intervals. In this phase of apnea, the tongue falls back into the pharynx and this prevents or completely closes the passage of air.
• The child wakes up suddenly with severe shortness of breath or inability to breathe. Partial or complete obstruction of the respiratory tract causes a decrease in brain oxygenation and the sudden awakening of the child. Upon awakening, however, the blockage subsides and with a deep and strong inhalation that follows, the passage of air and oxygenation of the brain are restored.
• The child shows a strong tendency to sleep during the day and at times outside of his regular and scheduled sleep.

Nocturnal Pulse Oximetry plays a decisive role in the identification and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, from which millions of children suffer without knowing it. The test is done by applying a plastic clip called an oximeter to the end of the finger. The oximeter sensor measures hypoxemia levels (88-90%) in 4 or more seconds and records them quantitatively, to give a first indication of the presence or absence, but also the severity, of obstructive sleep apnea.

After diagnosing the problem and its cause, the doctor is the one who will decide together with the parents on the treatment method. In snoring children, pulse oximetry can also help in the recommendation for possible tonsillectomy and adenotomy (meats), as it is an objective indicator and the decision does not depend only on the correct or incorrect subjective observation of the parents.

Treatment

Since the main cause in children is hypertrophy of the tonsils and adenoids, tonsillectomy and adenotomy is the treatment of choice in 85-90% of cases. But if this proves to be ineffective, (in about 10% of children), then other measures, such as dental prostheses, rules of healthy sleep and healthy eating, dealing with obesity and possible inflammations and allergies may help to deal with the problem. And if all else fails then CPAP devices are the last resort.