"Preschool children with cleft lip and/or palate have a risk of obstructive sleep apnea that is as much as five times that of children without cleft. Obstructive sleep apnea appears to be underrecognized in this group of children."
J.E. Maclean, K. Waters, D. Fitzsimons, P. Hayward, D. A. Fitzgerald (2009). Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Preschool Children with Cleft Palate. The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal: March 2009, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 117-123.
Here are some of the night-time symptoms of children with sleep apnea:
Difficulty breathing while asleep
- Pauses in breathing
- Snoring
- Restless sleep
- Heavy sweating while asleep
- Nightmares/night terrors
- Bed wetting
Daytime behaviors may include:
- Sleepiness during the day
- Aggressive or hyperactive behavior
- Learning disabilities
- Morning headaches
- Discipline problems
- Failure to thrive
http://newtechpub.com/phantom/snore/osakids.htm
For kids with clefts, apnea may be resolved through surgery (such as a mandibular distraction for a child with Pierre Robin Sequence), or by using a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine for sleep.Here are a couple more articles on childhood sleep apnea:
www.stanford.edu/~dement/childapnea.html
www.sleepapnea.org/info/children.html
www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/Could-Child-Have-Sleep-Apnea.cfm
There are myriad articles if you are interested in finding more information online!
Would any of you like to share your experiences with sleep apnea in your children? If so, please email Kidswithcleftsblog@gmail.com.
Nice to see that there is an organization out there that cares about the children most people often forget. smile train cleft lip cleft palate is one such organization.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to read this awareness is spreading! Thank you so much.
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