The vast majority of children withSleep Apnea would not be treated … because they are not diagnosed. They would even 90% do not know how to suffer, according to a study published in the journal ofAmerican Osteopathic Association from February. A considerable figure, since up to 15% of the youngest are affected by this pathology or another form of “disorderly” breathing, explain the specialists in pulmonology and pediatrics from Greenville (United States) in charge of research. The symptoms are in fact attributed, wrongly, to behavior problems.
In children, manifestations of obstructive sleep breathing disorder include snoring, the agitated sleep, the excessive drowsiness, the teeth grinding, the migraines, the nocturnal enuresis and theirritability.
Lack of awareness of these diseases
To reach these conclusions, the researchers started with the case of 9-year-old twins. After seeing a pediatrician and ENT doctor for loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness and enlarged tonsils, their parents turned to researchers. None of the specialists we met had recommended an analysis of their sleep.
After treating the little girls, the authors of the study concluded that these pathologies were not well known: “This case highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the management of obstructive sleep apnea in children, and the need for all healthcare professionals to receive comprehensive training in sleep medicine for proper diagnosis and treatment.”, they say in the American newspaper.
Risks to growth
During childhood, sleep apnea and the conditions associated with it can cause lasting damage to brain development. The cell regeneration as well as tissue and bone growth occur during the deep sleep phase, explain the specialists. However, when breathing is obstructed, the brain switches from deep sleep to light sleep to restore normal breathing, preventing restoration processes.
As a result, the researchers estimated children with undiagnosed sleep breathing disorder had 226% more health care use than the general population. “Children who have behavior problems or who are suspected of having ADHD (attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity, editor’s note) could in fact suffer from a chronic lack of restorative sleep “, valued in a press release John White, co-author of this study.
Fortunately, these pathologies can be treated well. “The challenge is to detect it early enough, however, continues the researcher. The early years are crucial for brain development, so it’s critical that this condition is on our radar. “
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