As parents, we are very concerned about our children's growth and development. There are many factors that affect growth and development, and sleep disorders are one of them. Sleep disorders in children not only affect their physical growth and development, but also have a certain impact on their physical and mental health. Childhood sleep disorders are composed of insufficient sleep time and a series of related symptoms. Including snoring, apnea, mouth breathing, restless sleep, excessive sweating, dream talk, grinding teeth, sleepwalking, enuresis, etc. Many parents mistakenly assume that their children are sleeping soundly when they see them snoring at night. Let's learn about it together below.
1、 What is pediatric snoring?
Childhood obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome, commonly known as pediatric snoring, is a chronic disease caused by repeated collapse and obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, resulting in respiratory pauses and low ventilation, leading to symptoms such as hypoxemia, increased sympathetic nerve activity, and disrupted sleep structure. It requires multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment.
2、 Causes of pediatric snoring: 1. Nose: Common causes include chronic rhinitis, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, posterior nasal atresia, and nasal mass. 2. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal regions: The most common causes are tonsillar hypertrophy and adenoid hypertrophy; Other reasons include enlarged tongue, fat accumulation caused by obesity, and tumors in the throat and nasopharynx. 3. Throat: Congenital softening of laryngeal cartilage, fins, tracheal atresia, etc. 4. Obesity: Babies who are overweight have thicker and more fleshy structures in their pharynx, which can cause blockages in their oral and pharyngeal airways during sleep, resulting in snoring and, in severe cases, respiratory pauses. 5. Respiratory tract inflammation: Upper respiratory tract inflammation and chronic sinusitis can cause congestion and edema of the nasal mucosa, as well as abnormal hypertrophy of tonsil proliferators, obstruction of nasal and pharyngeal ventilation, and inability to breathe through the nose during sleep, resulting in snoring sounds that occur with breathing.
3、 The clinical manifestations of pediatric snoring include snoring during sleep, mouth breathing, holding breath, repeated awakenings during sleep, and limb turning. 2. Bedwetting, excessive sweating at night, and abnormal sleeping posture; I often like to sleep on my stomach, and in severe cases, I may lie down and push my butt forward to sleep. 3. During the day, it manifests as lack of concentration and hyperactivity; Decreased memory and academic performance; Behavioral changes, cognitive impairments, etc. 4. Long term attacks may have signs such as growth retardation, hypertension, heart enlargement, right heart failure, and pulmonary heart disease. 5. Some children may also experience symptoms such as recurrent respiratory infections.
4、 Diagnosis of snoring in children: Generally speaking, if the following symptoms occur: ① Snoring, mouth breathing, restless sleep or holding breath, accompanied by daytime sleepiness or lack of concentration in learning, and decreased academic performance. ② Check for tonsil hypertrophy ≥ 2 degrees and narrow pharyngeal cavity. ③ Adenoid hypertrophy, nasopharyngeal ratio (A/N) ≥ 0.65. If it meets the criteria of ①② or ①③, it can be diagnosed as pediatric snoring. If conditions permit, sleep monitoring examinations should be conducted, and the gold standard for diagnosis is: obstructive sleep apnea index (OAI)>1, or sleep apnea hypopnea index (AHI)>5, with a minimum oxygen saturation of less than 92%, meeting any two criteria to diagnose pediatric snoring.
5、 The harm of pediatric snoring:
1. Slow growth: Snoring and holding breath during sleep can cause children to lack oxygen at night, directly damaging their bodies; Affects sleep quality, reduces the release of growth hormone at night, and affects children's bone development. 2. Intellectual disability: Lack of oxygen at night leads to insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, affecting children's intellectual development; Poor sleep quality can lead to hyperactivity or drowsiness during the day, lack of concentration, and poor academic performance in children. 3. Facial hypoplasia: Children with enlarged adenoids who breathe through their mouth for a long time can affect facial development, leading to short and thick upper lips, upturned nose opening, misaligned teeth, and dull facial expressions. Otitis media and sinusitis: Enlarged adenoids can block the posterior nasal cavity, leading to poor sinus drainage and sinusitis in the long term; Enlarged adenoids may also compress the pharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube on both sides, leading to poor drainage of the middle ear and causing otitis media. Frequent inflammation of the tonsils may also involve surrounding tissues, leading to conditions such as otitis media, sinusitis, bronchitis, etc. 4. Easy to cause nephritis, arthritis, and rheumatic heart disease: Some children often have tonsillitis, which can trigger some special immune mechanisms, leading to diseases such as nephritis, arthritis, and rheumatic heart disease.
6、 Prevention of snoring in children:
1. Control the child's weight. 2. Lying on your back while sleeping can increase the frequency of snoring, so it's best to sleep on your side. 3. Avoid taking sedatives before going to bed. Sedatives can easily cause muscle relaxation, making snoring more severe. 4. Moderate exercise can enhance children's physical fitness and reduce the probability of respiratory infections. 5. Ensure the regularity of children's sleep schedule, develop good sleep habits, and reduce vigorous activities at night, so that children should not be overly excited before bedtime. 6. Restricting children's intake of excessive sugar has certain benefits in preventing snoring in children.