Can Children Have Sleep Apnea?

Adults aren’t the only ones who can suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. In fact, OSA affects between 1% and 10% of children¹, and is increasingly becoming recognized as a cause of daytime behavioral and attention problems² . OSA is a common but serious sleep disorder that causes children and adults to stop breathing for 10 or more seconds during sleep, sometimes up to hundreds of times a night.

An airway narrowing or obstruction causes OSA, and in children, the obstruction is usually large tonsils and adenoids. Just as with adults, children with OSA are at increased risk for complications including headaches, high blood pressure and other heart and lung problems. Everyone experiences brief pauses in breathing during sleep and these pauses, along with gentle snoring, are perfectly normal among children and adults. Sometimes, though, the airway is obstructed enough to cause loud snoring and extended pauses that can actually reduce oxygen levels in the blood. Around 10%-20% of children snore³ , so learning to tell the difference between “benign” snoring and snoring that involves sleep apnea is important. Children with OSA, in addition to loud snoring, will usually show some or all of the following additional symptoms:

• Weight loss or failure to gain weight

• Mouth breathing

• Restless sleeping or poor sleeping

• Color changes during sleeping

• Daytime sleepiness

• Daytime behavior problems

• Attention problems

Interestingly, African American children are more likely to develop OSA than Caucasians⁴ . Boys are just as likely as girls to have childhood OSA, but by adulthood twice as many men have the condition than women. Children with Down’s syndrome are at high risk for OSA and should be closely watched for symptoms.

Diagnosis of children with sleep apnea is made based on the criteria above, as well as a polysomnogram or pediatric sleep study. Treatment usually involves surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids, and is often the only treatment needed. If surgery doesn’t cure the problem, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) may be used, which consists of a mask worn during sleep that delivers enough air to keep the airway open. Treatment of related underlying conditions, such as allergies and overweight, may also be needed. In addition to causing possible behavior problems and general sleepiness, sleep apnea is associated with serious complications for both children and adults. So if your child snores and shows any signs of having OSA, ask your pediatrician for further evaluation.