Sleep Apnea In Children Can Cause Significantly Lower IQ Scores
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Although it has been known for a long time now that children who have sleep apnea frequently show relatively low scores on IQ tests (normally producing an average of 85 against a score of 101 for children who are not suffering from sleep apnea) one thing that we have not known until fairly recently is that this results from chemical changes in the brain. In other words an otherwise smart kid could well turn in a mediocre performance as a result of nothing more than a sleeping problem which, in most cases, can be fairly easily treated.
In a recent study carried out at the Hopkin’s Children’s Centre in Baltimore, 31 children aged between 6 and 16 (19 of whom had severe sleep apnea) were examined with a special type or magnetic resonance imager and it was discovered that the children with sleep apnea showed significant changes in the hippocampus and right frontal cortex which are parts of the brain that are associated with higher mental function and learning.
The study also discovered that these kids were suffering from levels of three brain chemicals which were indicative of brain damage. This alteration of the brain chemistry brought about by sleep apnea might or might not be lasting and, at this point, additional studies are required to see whether or not this effect can be reversed.
Even if reversal is possible however and the chemistry of the brain and cognitive function can be returned to normal, children with sleep apnea will suffer learning problems as long as they have untreated sleep apnea and will certainly not be able to rewind time and regain this learning period.
Naturally, parents should already be looking out for the signs of sleep apnea in their children and this study clearly demonstrates that an early diagnosis and treatment of this sleeping problem could have a substantial affect on a child’s success in life.
The signs of sleep apnea include frequent pauses in breathing during sleep which frequently lead to an arousal from sleep and tossing and turning in bed. Children could also display labored or loud breathing, snoring, gasping, coughing and, at times, bedwetting at an age when should generally have passed.
Parents can also see that a child is sleeping in a strange position, possible with their bottom sticking up in the air and their head tilted back in an effort to keep their airway clear.
In most cases sleep apnea in children can be effectively treated by the surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids, or excess tissue from the back of the throat or nose. Additionally, a continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) machine (or pediatric CPAP) can also be used to provide the child with a flow of air delivered through a mask that is worn during sleep to keep the airway open.
In itself child sleep apnea is incapacitating for any child and the effect of night after night of inadequate sleep are going to take their toll on your child. However, when this is combined with an impairment of your child’s IQ, it is imperative that you act as soon as you can to have the condition professionally diagnosed and treated.
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