{"id":2661,"date":"2022-06-30T11:27:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T16:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/?p=2661"},"modified":"2022-07-01T11:31:10","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T16:31:10","slug":"what-is-childhood-obstructive-sleep-apnea-how-is-it-treated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/what-is-childhood-obstructive-sleep-apnea-how-is-it-treated\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea &amp; How Is It Treated?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/pediatrics\/ent\/snoring-sleep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Childhood obstructive sleep apnea<\/a> (OSA) is a sleep disorder that affects approximately <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27372597\/\" target=\"_blank\">1-5% of children between the ages of two and eight<\/a>. The condition is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep due to the airway being physically blocked. It\u2019s important to diagnose and treat childhood OSA early to prevent complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the Symptoms of Childhood OSA?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/peds-with-doc_istock-1274777898-1-1280x720.jpg\" alt=\"Mom and daughter visiting with an ENT doctor in a clinical setting.\" class=\"wp-image-2663\" width=\"329\" height=\"185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/peds-with-doc_istock-1274777898-1-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/peds-with-doc_istock-1274777898-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/peds-with-doc_istock-1274777898-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/peds-with-doc_istock-1274777898-1-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 329px) 100vw, 329px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Nighttime symptoms of childhood OSA include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Snoring<\/li><li>Pauses in <a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/pediatrics\/ent\/airway-problems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">breathing<\/a><\/li><li>Restless sleep<\/li><li>Snorting<\/li><li>Coughing<\/li><li>Choking<\/li><li>Mouth breathing<\/li><li>Sweating<\/li><li>Bed-wetting<\/li><li>Night terrors<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This can result in daytime symptoms such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Poor school performance<\/li><li>Difficulty paying attention<\/li><li>Learning problems<\/li><li>Behavioral problems at the playground<\/li><li>Poor weight gain<\/li><li>Hyperactivity<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the Risk Factors for Childhood OSA?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we sleep, our muscles relax, including those in the mouth and throat. For those with childhood OSA, the muscles can relax too much and block the airway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Risk factors for childhood OSA include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Enlarged tongue, tonsils or adenoids.<\/li><li>Family history of OSA<\/li><li>Being overweight<\/li><li>Down syndrome<\/li><li>Cerebral palsy<\/li><li>Sickle cell disease<\/li><li>Neuromuscular disease<\/li><li>History of low birth weight\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Is Childhood OSA Diagnosed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to take your child to see a sleep expert at <span class=\"company-name \">Midwest Ear, Nose &amp; Throat Specialists<\/span> right away if you notice the symptoms listed above. They will review your child\u2019s symptoms, take a medical history and perform a physical exam. They may also order several tests, including a polysomnogram, oximetry or electrocardiogram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Is Childhood OSA Treated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Treatment options for childhood OSA include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Medications. <\/strong>Certain medications, like topical nasal steroids, can ease symptoms of mild childhood sleep apnea. Medications to manage allergies can also be helpful, if your child has this condition.<\/li><li><strong>Tonsillectomy\/adenoidectomy.<\/strong> Removal of the tonsils and\/or adenoids can ease symptoms of moderate to severe sleep apnea.<\/li><li><strong>Positive airway pressure therapy.<\/strong> Your child may be instructed to wear a machine that gently blows air through a tube into a mask to keep their airway open.<\/li><li><strong>Oral appliance.<\/strong> Mouthpieces or dental devices may also be recommended. These keep the tongue and soft tissues in place and prevent them from collapsing into the airway.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information about childhood sleep apnea, call our board-certified pediatric sub-specialists at <a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/ent\/\">Midwest Ear, Nose &amp; Throat Specialists<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/dr-kristi-gravel-published-in-renowned-medical-journal\/\" class=\"related-post\">Midwest Hearing Director Dr. Kristi Gravel Published in Renowned Medical Journal<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/when-should-my-child-see-an-ent\/\" class=\"related-post\">When Should My Child See an ENT?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mwent.net\/how-to-prevent-ear-infections-in-children\/\" class=\"related-post\">How to Prevent Ear Infections in Children<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Childhood obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that affects approximately 1-5% of children between the ages of two and eight. The condition is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep due to the airway being physically blocked. It\u2019s important to diagnose and treat childhood OSA early to prevent complications. What Are the Symptoms&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Childhood obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that affects approximately 1-5% of children between the ages of two and eight.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2661\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mwent.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}