bellies are more likely to have sleep-disordered breathing, a condition
that's associated with behavioral problems, hyperactivity and difficulty
staying awake at school, new research shows.
In the study, researchers examined 700 children between the ages of 5
and 12 randomly chosen from 18 public elementary schools in Pennsylvania.
Each child had a physical exam and was monitored for nine hours at a sleep
laboratory using polysomnography, which measures brain electrical
activity, heart activity, airflow, respiration and oxygen saturation
during sleep.
About 25 percent of children had mild sleep-disordered breathing and
1.2 percent had moderate sleep-disordered breathing, defined as five or
more breathing pauses per hour. More than 15 percent had primary snoring,
the researchers found.
Those with sleep-disordered breathing tended to have a larger body-mass
index and a higher waist circumference relative to their peers. Unlike in
adults, a large neck circumference was not a predictor of sleep-disordered
breathing in children, the study authors note in their report in the June
issue of SLEEP.
Until recently, enlarged tonsils or adenoids were believed to cause
most sleep-disordered breathing in children, but the study found no link
between tonsil size and disordered breathing, according to a news release
from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).
Instead, obesity may be playing the greater role, said study author
Edward O. Bixler, of Penn State University College of Medicine.
"Risk factors for sleep-disordered breathing in children are complex
and include metabolic, inflammatory and anatomic factors," Bixler said in
the news release. "Because sleep-disordered breathing in children is not
just the outcome of anatomical abnormalities, treatment strategies should
consider alternative options, such as weight loss and correction of nasal
problems."
Sleep-disordered breathing can range from mild to severe, according to
information from the AASM. Mild cases might be marked by persistent
snoring due to nasal anatomic features such as chronic sinusitis, rhinitis
and nasal drain. Severe cases may include obstructive sleep apnea, a
potentially dangerous condition in which breathing repeatedly starts and
stops throughout the night. Each pause typically lasts from 10 to 20
seconds and can occur 20 to 30 times per hour.
While children tend to have milder forms of sleep-disordered breathing
than adults, they can suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.
Older children were more likely to have moderately disordered
breathing. Two percent of children between the ages of 9 and 12 years had
moderate sleep-disordered breathing, compared with only 0.2 percent of
children between 5 and 8, the news release notes.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when soft tissue in the back of the
throat collapses and blocks the airway during sleep. In children, loud
snoring, obvious pauses in breathing and gasping for breath are warning
signs. Parents often notice that the child seems to be working hard to
breathe during sleep, according to the AASM.
More information
Find out more about obstructive sleep apnea and sleep breathing
disorders in children at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
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