International studies show that 21 to 37 percent of children already suffer from sleep disorders, and about 9 percent of all infants and children snore. According to estimates, one in five child snorers suffers from sleep apnea (1). In rare cases, nocturnal breathing disorders can even require young children to breathe so hard that developmental delays occur. More than half of all children between the ages of one and four snore occasionally, but eight percent of them snore every night. The number of children who snore regularly increases with age: From 6 percent of one-year-olds to as many as 13 percent of four-year-olds. Young boys snore more often than girls.
Warning signal snoring
Snoring is a warning signal of disturbed sleep. Children who are not rested cannot concentrate as well. This lowers their school performance (2). As shown by American and German studies, the percentage of children with poor school performance in the group of snorers is 30.6 percent, almost twice as high as in the control group with only 16.3 percent.
Daytime sleepiness, hypermobility and pallor are also more common in snoring children than in children who can sleep soundly through the night. Children who snore are also more susceptible to infections, and are much more likely to suffer from chronic coughs, colds and ear infections.
Causes
The cause of nocturnal “sawing” may be blockage of the upper airway caused by an enlarged pharyngeal tonsil, better known as adenoids. But enlarged palatine tonsils are also often to blame for difficult breathing. Obesity exacerbates such problems. Passive smoking can also trigger snoring in children: even if only one parent smokes around one- to four-year-olds, their risk of snoring increases by 60 percent.
Therapy
Snoring can often be treated by scraping off the adenoids. If the palatine tonsils are also severely enlarged, they can be partially removed with the help of a laser. This so-called “tonsillotomy” can also be used on young patients under the age of five. Part of the tonsil tissue remains intact and retains its defense function against pathogens.
Conclusion
If your child snores, bring it up at the next visit to the pediatrician. He will examine the child and refer him to an ear, nose and throat specialist if necessary. For children who snore regularly, this may also include an examination by a sleep physician, and possibly an appointment with a dentist or orthodontist.
Sources:
(1) Healthy Sleep Initiative
(2) American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2003;doi:10.1164
