Understanding Pediatric Sleep Apnea: Causes and Risk Factors

It’s easy to assume that snoring and restless nights are just part of childhood, but what if there’s more to it?

Pediatric sleep apnea is a condition that many parents don’t realize could be affecting their child’s sleep and overall health.

By learning what to watch for, you can help ensure they get the restful, healthy sleep they need to grow and thrive!

What Causes Pediatric Sleep Apnea?

Several factors contribute to the development of sleep apnea in children.

1. Lack of Activity: Less active children may experience weight gain, which can contribute to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
2. Being Overweight: In children, extra body weight can lead to fat deposits around the upper airway, causing it to narrow and become obstructed during sleep.
3. Genetics: If there is a genetic predisposition to conditions like obesity or if close relatives have obstructive sleep apnea, a child may be at higher risk of experiencing this condition.
4. Not Getting Enough Sleep: When children don’t sleep enough, their throat muscles relax more than usual, leading to airway obstruction. This can worsen mild sleep apnea or cause central sleep apnea episodes, where the brain fails to send the proper signals to start breathing.
5. The Lower Jaw is Too Far Back: A small or recessed lower jaw is a common physical cause of obstructive sleep apnea in children. When the jaw sits too far back, it can cause the airway to narrow, especially during sleep.

6 Symptoms of Pediatric Sleep Apnea

1. Constant Fatigue: Children with untreated sleep apnea experience frequent breathing interruptions at night, leading to poor-quality sleep and daytime drowsiness. This fatigue can negatively impact their daily activities, concentration, and well-being.
2. Bad Grades: Sleep apnea causes frequent awakenings and fragmented sleep, leading to trouble concentrating, memory issues, and daytime sleepiness. Children with sleep apnea may struggle in school, leading to bad grades.
3. ADHD-Like Behavior: Children with pediatric sleep apnea often show signs similar to ADHD, such as difficulty paying attention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity.
4. Snoring: While occasional snoring may not be concerning, consistently loud snoring, especially when accompanied by gasping or choking sounds, could indicate that your child’s airways are being obstructed during sleep.
5. Bruxism (Teeth Grinding): Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is another symptom associated with sleep apnea. When obstructive sleep apnea occurs, the body may subconsciously clench the jaw to open the airway, leading to teeth grinding. This can cause dental issues and further disrupt sleep quality.
6. Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis): The frequent sleep disruptions caused by apnea may interfere with the body’s normal signaling to the bladder, leading to bedwetting episodes.

How Can Early Orthodontic Intervention Mitigate the Risks of Pediatric Sleep Apnea?

Early orthodontic interventions, such as adjusting jaw alignment, expanding narrow dental arches, and correcting malocclusions or crowded teeth, can prevent or reduce the severity of sleep apnea by improving the structure of the upper airways.

Waiting until all permanent teeth have emerged may call for orthognathic surgery, which involves moving the lower jaw by about 10mm. Delaying intervention can result in the need for procedures that risk severing nerves and other delicate tissues, highlighting the importance of addressing these issues early.

3 Solutions for Pediatric Sleep Apnea

1. Palatal Expanders: Dr. Lee offers palatal expanders for children who struggle with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy. They gradually widen the upper jaw to improve the airway structure and reduce symptom severity.
2. Increased Physical Activity: For inactive children, increasing physical activity can help open up the airways and reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Regular exercise promotes overall cardiovascular health, which contributes to better airway function.
3. Healthy Weight Management: Children can minimize the risk of sleep apnea by focusing on healthy lifestyle changes that include balanced nutrition and regular physical activity. Excess weight can cause fat deposits around the upper airways, leading to obstruction during sleep.

How Effective are Palatal Expanders toward Treating Pediatric Sleep Apnea?

By gradually widening the upper jaw, these devices create more space in the upper airway, reducing the likelihood of obstruction during sleep. This treatment is particularly effective for children with narrow dental arches, crowded teeth, or small jaws.

Palatal expanders are most effective during the developmental years, as bones are still growing and can be easily guided into the correct position. This proactive approach prevents the need for more invasive procedures, such as orthognathic surgery, later in life.

After completing the 14-month treatment with palatal expanders, children may wear a retainer or snore guard to preserve the results and keep their airways healthy.

How Can Parents Monitor and Support Their Children’s Sleep Health?

Ensuring healthy sleep for children is vital for their physical and mental development, and parents play a crucial role in monitoring and supporting their sleep health.

1. Recognize the Symptoms: Parents must be aware of common symptoms of sleep apnea in children, such as loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, trouble concentrating, and frequent nighttime awakenings. Understanding these signs is crucial for early detection.
2. Monitor Sleep Patterns: Observing your child’s sleep patterns can provide valuable insights. If your child exhibits signs like restless sleep, pauses in breathing, or unusual sleep positions, it could indicate obstructive sleep apnea occurs. Keeping a sleep diary can help track these patterns and provide helpful information during a consultation with a sleep specialist.
3. Encourage a Healthy Sleep Routine: Establishing a consistent bedtime routine helps maintain proper blood oxygen levels and supports overall cardiovascular health, reducing the likelihood of sleep apnea symptoms worsening.
4. Address Risk Factors: Addressing health concerns, such as nasal congestion or chronic lung diseases, can support better breathing and prevent airway obstruction during sleep.
5. Get a Sleep Study: This overnight test monitors your child’s breathing patterns, blood pressure, and oxygen levels to determine the severity of the condition. Once sleep apnea is diagnosed, your healthcare provider can recommend treatment options such as positive airway pressure devices, oral appliances, or other interventions based on your child’s specific needs.
6. Support Treatment Plans: For children diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea, following the treatment plan prescribed by their sleep specialist is critical. This may include using PAP (positive airway pressure) therapy or oral appliances.

Learn More about How Patuxent Orthodontics Can Help with Pediatric Sleep Apnea!

Contact Patuxent Orthodontics if snore guards are the solution to your child’s pediatric apnea woes. Whether you want to learn more about the benefits of snore guards or have questions about the process, use our live chat, call (240) 802-7217, or message us through our Contact Us page to connect with our friendly staff today and book a complimentary consultation!

Our office, located at 44220 Airport View Dr., Hollywood, MD 20636, proudly serves Maryland’s Patuxent area, as well as the Greater Washington DC area.

So, if you’re residing in Hollywood, Wildewood, or Leonardtown and are looking for one of the best orthodontists in Maryland, don’t hesitate to visit our office!

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