Study links persistent and loud snoring in young children with problem behaviors
Persistent and loud snoring in young children is associated with problem behaviors, according to a new study published online in Pediatrics.
These behaviors include hyperactivity, depression and inattention, according to Dean Beebe, PhD, director of the neuropsychology program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and lead author of the study.
“The strongest predictors of persistent snoring were lower socioeconomic status and the absence or shorter duration of breastfeeding,” says Dr. Beebe. “This would suggest that doctors routinely screen for and track snoring, especially in children from poorer families, and refer loudly-snoring children for follow-up care. Failing to screen, or taking a ‘wait and see’ approach on snoring, could make preschool behavior problems worse. The findings also support the encouragement and facilitation of infant breastfeeding.”
The study is believed to be the first to examine the relationship between the persistence of snoring and behavior problems in preschool-age children. Persistent, loud snoring occurs in approximately one of every 10 children.
Dr. Beebe and colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s studied 249 children. The researchers surveyed the children’s moms about their kids’ sleep and behaviors. The study showed that children who snored loudly at least twice a week at the age of 2 and 3 had more behavior problems than children who either don’t snore or who snored at 2 or 3 but not at both ages.
“A lot of kids snore every so often, and cartoons make snoring look cute or funny. But loud snoring that lasts for months is not normal, and anything that puts young kids at that much risk for behavioral problems is neither cute nor funny,” says Dr. Beebe. “That kind of snoring can be a sign of real breathing problems at night that are treatable. I encourage parents to talk to their child’s doctor about loud snoring, especially if it happens a lot and persists over time.”
Why Toddlers Snore
Snoring happens when there is a blockage of airflow through your toddler’s nose and throat. The sound you hear is the vibration of certain structures in the mouth and throat rubbing against one another as your child breathes.
An estimated ten percent of all kids snore, according to the National Sleep Foundation, and there are many reasons for it. If your toddler’s nightly concertos are rattling windows (along with your nerves), here’s what may be behind all that noise - and what you can do to make it stop:
It may be hard to believe, but your sleeping, angelic toddler is capable of big, raucous snores. Find out why it’s happening and what you can do about it.
Colds, the flu, and allergies. Upper-respiratory infections are the culprits behind most bouts of occasional snoring in kids. It happens when your child’s nose gets stuffed up and mucus blocks his airway, creating turbulence in the airflow as it passes through the throat. Since allergies can cause congestion, too, they also may be to blame for your child snoring.
Enlarged adenoids or tonsils. The adenoids are lumpy lymph tissue located where the nose meets the throat, and the tonsils are two lumps of lymph tissue located at the back of the throat. Both adenoids and tonsils guard your child from infections by trapping inhaled viruses and bacteria. In the process, though, they sometimes become infected and swollen. Enlarged adenoids and tonsils can get in the way of airflow and cause snoring.
Obstructive sleep apnea. If the loud snoring is interrupted by pauses in breathing, your little one may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a serious condition in which air can’t get through to the lungs. The pauses in breathing can last for ten seconds or more, and they can happen many times throughout the night. This can be dangerous, and it can break up your toddler’s sleep, causing him to be grumpy, experience extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and growth problems. Most cases of OSA in kids are caused by enlarged adenoids or tonsils, but being overweight or having certain facial features (like a receding chin or a cleft palate) can also block the airway and lead to OSA. It usually takes an overnight stay in a sleep lab to determine whether your child truly has this condition.
Infant breastfeeding, especially over longer periods of time, seemed to protect children against persistent snoring, even after taking into account other factors, including family income.
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The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R01 ES015517-01A1, P01 ES11261).
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Kathy Francis
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502-379-7918
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center