The next time your restless infant keeps you awake all night, make sure you observe him more keenly.
A study reviewed and published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research in February says that sleep disordered breathing (SDB), thought to be prevalent only in adults, is common in infants, as well as children aged 2-5 years.
“SDB in children can cause a variety of symptoms, from snoring to frequent awakening, nocturnal sweating, hyperactivity, nasal congestion, respiratory tract infection etc. It has been found to be more common than previously thought. Unfortunately, it often goes undetected due to lack of awareness, or due to the fact that parents sleep in a different room, or do not observe the child’s sleep patterns and behaviour keenly,” said Dr Sheetal Vaite, a paediatrician.
The grim news is that, if left untreated, SDB in children can lead to long-term learning deficits, memory impairment, poor growth and risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as mood disorders, claims the study. The worst-case scenario: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids).
Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is increasingly a cause of morbidity even in young children, paediatricians in the city say. “But unfortunately, SDB is very under-diagnosed due to lack of awareness among parents and even doctors,” said Dr Sharad
Menon, a Ghatkopar-based paediatrician.
“Since SDB is a very well-known problem in adults, the investigations and monitoring required to diagnose the problem is available for adults but not children,” explained Dr Menon.
The symptoms, too, are very different among children. “While SDB is commonly seen in obese adults, diabetics, patients with renal failure etc, doctors suspect SDB only if the child shows symptoms such as excess snoring, turning blue, frequent awakening, restlessness in certain positions etc.,” said paediatrician Dr Ananth Sheth.
“While routine investigations such as a neurology check-up, check-ups for adenoid, neck x-rays, etc. can be performed, monitoring in a suitably equipped sleep laboratory, which is necessary, is not available,” said Dr Menon. Children with Down’s syndrome or neuromuscular disorders are at a higher risk of developing SDB, he added.
Chest physician Dr Ashok Mahashur, who heads Hinduja Hospital’s sleep clinic, sees a lot of adult patients suffering from SDB and obstructed sleep apnea (OSA), which is caused by the cutting-off of oxygen supply.
“Usually, they are on the obese side, diabetics, patients of advanced renal failure,” he said. About 10 to 15% of the population in India suffers from OSA, said Dr Mahashur.
“But as far as infants are concerned, a number of reasons, such as tonsils or adenoids causing obstruction to the airways, inherent weakness in the upper airways, frequent aspirations that cause obstruction to the breathing tube, can cause OSA,” said Dr Mahashur.
“Since OSA is caused by the cutting off of oxygen supply, its long-term effects could include lack of development of the brain, memory disturbances, lack of growth etc,” said Dr Mahashur.
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