Snoring is not benign!

Yes, I've raised the issue of snoring before...
And now an article in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health has bought snoring to my attention to attention again. 

I see a lot of children with sleep problems. Some of my referrals come from sleepless parents and some are directed from the GP.

During my assessment, one of the first questions I ask is; does your child snore?
Parents can have a bit of a chuckle at this question and may not see the relevance, perceiving their child’s sleep issue as poor managed behaviour rather than having a pathological cause. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a serious condition that left untreated can impact on neurocognitive and cardiovascular functioning, and has been associated with disturbances on growth and mood.

Children who snore will not usually present seeking treatment for snoring. It is more likely that their parents will present to health or education services worried about their child’s disruptive behaviour, lack of focussed attention in class or recurrent sickness.

When snoring co-exists with poor sleep habits I am very happy to work with the family to develop more sustainable healthy sleep habits, but only on the proviso that the snoring has been throughly investigated and co-morbidities are being treated. 

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