Children who snore loudly are at a higher risk of developing many behavior problems, health experts warn parents.
Investigators from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center found persistent and loud snoring among young children leading to serious behaviour difficulties such as hyperactivity, depression and inattention.
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology- Health and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), "about one in 10 children snore regularly."
According to Dr. Dean Beebe, lead author of the study, lack of breastfeeding and lower socioeconomic status are playing major roles in this occurrence.
"The strongest predictors of persistent snoring were lower socioeconomic status and the absence or shorter duration of breastfeeding," Dr. Beebe said in a statement. "Failing to screen, or taking a 'wait and see' approach on snoring, could make preschool behavior problems worse. The findings also support the encouragement and facilitation of infant breastfeeding."
Investigators included 249 children to examine the relationship between snoring and behavior problems. Findings proved that children, aged between two and three, who snored loudly at least twice a week having more behavioral problems than children who didn't snore.
After reaching a conclusion, Dr. Beebe urged parents to take snoring of their children seriously and provide immediate treatment to avoid its negative impact on them.
"A lot of kids snore every so often, and cartoons make snoring look cute or funny. But loud snoring that lasts for months is not normal, and anything that puts young kids at that much risk for behavioral problems is neither cute nor funny," Dr. Beebe explained. "That kind of snoring can be a sign of real breathing problems at night that are treatable. I encourage parents to talk to their child's doctor about loud snoring, especially if it happens a lot and persists over time."
Findings of the study have been published in Pediatrics.
This is not the first study to analyze the link between children's breathing difficulties during sleep and behavior difficulties. In March, a study conducted by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University found children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB)) or abnormal breathing during sleep developing serious behavioral difficulties such as hyperactivity, aggressiveness, emotional symptoms and peer difficulties. Experts recommend seeking the help of an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat physician) or sleep specialist to solve the problem. According to AAO-HNS, surgery and weight loss (for obese children) are some treatments.
