Snoring in Children
May21st,2010Snoring in children is not unusual. Many parents even find it cute when their child growls to himself. But beware! Regular snoring should be be taken seriously by the doctor and clarify. For the nighttime breathing problems may have consequences for the development of the child.
1. Children snoring situation
More than half of all children between one and four years snores occasionally, eight percent of them every night. With age also increases the number of the children who snore regularly: from six percent in one year old up to 13 percent of four-year olds. Little boys often snore while 63 percent compared to 58 percent for girls. In many children, snoring is a temporary phenomenon – not for some. But small snorers can be helped.
2. Children snoring causes
Cause of the nightly “sawing” can be the blockade of the upper respiratory tract caused by an enlarged adenoids, better known as “polyps”, is produced. But also enlarged tonsils and passive smoking may promote snoring in children: children whose parents smoke are affected disproportionately often. If only one parent smokes in the area of one-to four-year olds, increased their risk of snoring by 60 percent.
3. Children snoring affect
The nighttime breathing problems affect children’s often neglected: Snoring children suffer twice as often at night from a chronic cough. They are also disproportionately affected by colds and ear infections. In rare cases, the nighttime breathing disorder even small children squeeze as much power in breathing that leads to developmental delays.
Snoring affects the performance of the children. Children need energy to participate, so they concentrated on teaching and provides deeper, calmer sleep. If the sleep affected by snoring, however, so this has a negative effect on their performance. As a result of reduced oxygen supply to the brain may experience behavioral problems and poor grades: As American and German studies show the proportion of children with poor school performance in the group of snorers with 30.6 percent, almost twice as high as in the control group with only 16.3 percent. Even daytime fatigue, hypermobility, and pallor are snoring in children more often than in children who can sleep through the night quietly.
4. Children snoring treatment
The snoring can be treated by removing the polyps. Are the tonsils also increased strongly, they can be removed with a laser in part. These so-called “tonsillectomy” can be applied even in very young patients, less than five years. In addition, part of the almond tissue is preserved. The advantage over the Totalentfernung of the tonsils: the remaining tonsil retains its defensive function against pathogens and supports the immune system of the child. But not every young patients can be helped with surgery. For every fourth child, it also comes after the operation to further interruptions in breathing. This may be caused in such cases, besides the anatomical obstacles a malfunction of the upper airway muscles, resulting in REM sleep to relaxation of the upper respiratory tract.
If your child snores, speak to this at the next visit to the pediatrician. He will examine the child and possibly refer to an ear, nose and throat doctor. This can examine the nose and throat of your child closely and propose a treatment.