Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing Treatment

Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is a term used for children who frequently let out a loud snoring, gasping, snorting, and thrashing sound in bed or unexplained bedwetting. Behavioral symptoms can include changes in mood, misbehavior, and poor school performance.  Not every child with academic or behavioral issues will have SDB, but if a child snores loudly on a daily basis and is experiencing mood, behavioral, or school performance problems, sleep disordered breathing should be tested for. If you note that your child has any of those symptoms, have them checked by an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist).  Sometimes, physicians diagnose sleep disordered breathing based on history and physical examination. 

When a child's breathing is disrupted during sleep, the body perceives this as a choking phenomenon. The heart rate drops, blood pressure rises, the brain is aroused, and sleep gets disrupted. Oxygen levels in blood can also drop.

Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing- Causes and Symptoms

A common physical cause of pediatric sleep disordered breathing is enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Obese children are at an increased risk as fat deposits around the neck and throat can narrow the airway. Children with abnormalities involving the lower jaw or tongue or neuromuscular deficits such as cerebral palsy have a higher risk of developing sleep disordered breathing.

The most obvious symptom of sleep disordered breathing in children is loud decibals of snoring on a regular basis. Sometimes kids can be seen breathing through the mouth, walking restlessly, bed wetting, excessive sleeping during the day, weight loss or being under weight. When such cases persist,immediate consultation with  doctors for Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing, is necessary.

Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing- Diagnosis

Physicians make a diagnosis based on history and physical examination. In other cases, such as in children suspected of having severe OSA due to craniofacial syndromes, morbid obesity, or neuromuscular disorders or for children less than three years of age, additional testing such as a sleep test may be recommended. In this test, wires are attached to the head and body to monitor brain waves, muscle tension, eye movement, breathing, oxygen levels in the blood. The test is not painful and is generally performed in a sleep laboratory or a hospital.

Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing- Treatment

Since enlarged tonsils and adenoids are a common cause for SDB, it's surgical removal is generally considered the first line of treatment.  Many children with SDP show both short and long- term improvement in their sleep and behavior after This kind of surgery.

However, if the symptoms are mild or intermittent, academic performance and behavior is not an issue, the tonsils are small, or the child is nearing puberty (tonsils and adenoids often shrink at puberty), it may be recommended that the child with SDB be watched conservatively and treated surgically, only if symptoms worsen.

There are other alternative treatments like Oral Appliance Therapy, DNA Appliance Therapy, and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). However, these can be prescribed only by an expert specialist. One such leading doctor in India is Dr. Krishnan A. Subramanian.

Dr. Krishnan A. Subramanian is the director of 'The Healthy Sleep', an Advanced Center for Snoring, Sleep Apnea, and Migraine Therapy. Over the years, Dr. Krishnan A. Subramanian, has successfully cured several cases of Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing in Kerala.

Visit us: thehealthysleep.in

Mail us: krishnanhealthysleep@gmail.com