My Child Snores

...Normalizing The Pathological Airway ...Oral Health Solutions

Dr. Markku Partinen, in the definitive text, "Principles and Practices of Sleep Medicine" states that:

" Upper airway obstruction with snoring or obstructive sleep apnea is commonly seen in children of all ages. Children may have sleep apnea syndrome similar to that seen in adults. Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the most common cause of upper airway obstruction in infants and children."

In an article penned by Marcus and Loughlin Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, Vol 3, No 1 (March), 1996: pp 23-28 entitled "Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children", "Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome" is discussed along with it's relationship to adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Some highlights of this article are:

	"Chronic enlargement of the tonsillar tissues is an affectation of great importance, and may influence in an extraordinary way the mental and bodily development of children...".
	"Patients with OSAS tend to have either a narrow upper airway (eg, because of adenotonsillar hypertrophy, craniofacial anomalies or obesity)..."
	"They can usually maintain a patent airway during wakefulness, because of the augmentation of upper airway tone by the central nervous system."
	"During sleep, the upper airway collapses..." which leads to arousals.
	These arousals are transient changes in "Sleep State" rather than full awakenings.
	"Arousals may occur hundreds of times a night, resulting in sleep fragmentation and excessive daytime somnolence (drowsiness)"
	"In most children, OSAS resolves completely following adenotonsillectomy."
	"Sleep is restless. Children may sleep in positions promoting airway patency, such as seated or with their neck hyperextended."
	"Children may have developmental delay, poor school performance, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior and social withdrawal."

Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire

Ronald D. Chervin et al Sleep Medicine 1 (2000) 21-32

Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire: validity and reliability of scales for sleep-disordered

breathing, snoring, sleepiness, and behavioral problems

For ages 2-18

Please Answer all Questions:

____ While Sleeping, does your child snore more than half the time?

____ While Sleeping, does your child always snore?

____ While Sleeping, does your child snore loudly?

____ While Sleeping, does your child have “heavy” or loud breathing?

____ While Sleeping, does your child have trouble breathing, or struggle to breath?

____ Have you ever seen your child stop breathing during the night?

____ Does your child tend to breathe through the mouth during the day?

____ Does your child have a dry mouth on waking up in the morning?

____ Does your child occasionally wet the bed?

____ Does your child wake up unrefreshed in the morning?

____ Does your child have a problem with sleepiness during the day?

____ Has a teacher or other supervisor commented that your child appears sleepy during the day?

____ Is it hard to wake your child up in the morning?

____ Does your child wake up with headaches in the morning?

____ Did your child stop growing at a normal rate at any time since birth?

____ Is your child overweight?

____ This child often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly

____ This child often has difficulty organizing task and activities

____ This child often is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli

____ This child often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat

____ This child often is ‘on the go’ or often acts as if ‘driven by a motor’

____ This child often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g. butts into conversations or games)

____ TOTAL (Eight or more positive answers may indicate a “Breathing Related Sleep Disorder”)

Eight or more positive answers may indicate a "Breathing Related Sleep Disorder"

Take a copy of this page complete with answers to your child's family physician for further evaluation

Send mail to WebMaster@SleepDisordersDentistry.com with questions or comments about this web site.

Copyright ©2004 John S Viviano DDS; SleepDisordersDentistry.com, All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer

Last modified: October 17, 2007