Child Behavior Linked to Breathing and Sleep Disorders

Breathing Disorders or irregular breathing patterns are one of the most common health troubles found all over the world today. These breathing disorders can lead to various other troubles such as risks concerning the heart, obesity and sleep apnea to name a few. But a recent study confirms that Snoring or Mouth Breathing which relates to Sleep Disorder is one of the most common disorders in children, could lead to 60% higher risk of behavioral irregularities as they grow to become toddlers.

The research study done by researchers in Albert Einstein College of medicine, New York City shows that sleep disorders in children ranging from 6 months to 7 years could actually lead to hyperactivity in toddlers.

The research study has been based on a large survey taken over a period of 6 years where parents were asked to keep a watch on their child’s sleeping patterns and fill out survey forms at different intervals of time. Intervals were based on the age of the child. Further the parents were asked to keep a check on the behavioral patterns once the children came into the range of 4 to 7 years of age.

At the end of this study, researchers found that children who had the most extreme cases of breathing disorder while sleeping between the age groups of 6 months to 18 months were at higher risk of developing emotional as well as behavioral problems by the  time they reached 7 years of age. This was in comparison with children who had normal breathing patterns.

According to study author of this research Dr. Karen Bonuck that this evidence is the best to date that sleep disorders do play a role taking care of these symptoms as early as the first year of life can actually reduce problems in the future. Bonuck says that it is particularly important for doctors to check on the sleeping patterns of their child patients when parents take their kids for a fitness check by probing questions to parents about their children’s sleep. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Health and Neck Surgery confirms the fact that one of the common causes which makes one in ten children snore regularly is enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

Question that immediately takes effect in our heads is what is the link between snoring and behavior. Researchers point out that these breathing troubles affect the flow of oxygen to the brain affect the calming effects of sleep which helps in restoring processes in areas of the brain which control abilities to pay attention, suppress behavior and regulate emotions.

The only way to prevent these breathing disorders according to researchers is a close watch on the sleeping and breathing patterns of children from 6 months itself. It’s not a panic situation if the child already has these symptoms and appropriate treatment can cure them of the behavioral problems says Rajiv Naik, MD, a pediatrician with the Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, WIS. The best solution as per Bonuck is to keep a close check on the child’s sleep and breathing patterns and immediately inform the child’s pediatrician if anything is going amiss.