Sleep Apnea
Everything you always wanted to know about obstructive sleep apnea. This article is a very thorough, even though not very extensive review of the features of this, often neglected or ignored, problem. The piece provides an excellent review of the multiple causes of sleep apnea in the infant and young child, from malformations of the mandible, palate and soft palate, to tonsillitis and adenoiditis. We learn about the association of sleep apnea with difficult behavior during the day, irritability, hyperactivity and even with failure to thrive. A review of treatment approaches is at the end of the review. This article will familiarize the newcomer to this disorder, which has a prevalence of about 3% of young children, and when present, can lead to multiple complications. The clinician should take it into account and routinely ask whether the young child snores, sleeps in funny positions, thrashes a lot during the night or appears tired during the day.
The reference is Bower, C.M. and Gungor, A. Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Otolaryngological Clinics of North America. 2000. vol. 33. no. 1. 49-75