Snoring and kids
Snoring occurs at all ages.
We think snoring is annoying in our partners if it is too loud and cute in our kids. The truth is that it is not good in either. Kids should not snore. Large tonsils and adenoids superimposed on a smaller face mean that they are predisposed to snoring at times when these tissues are large.
Although snoring is not necessarily the same as sleep apnoea, snoring does mean that there is a limitation of airflow during sleep, and ought to be assessed. Adenotonsillectomy has long been touted as the established treatment for snoring in children, but recent studies have shown that roughly 1/3rd of children achieve a cure from this procedure, 1/3rd have no benefit, and 1/3rd may even get worse. A pilot study on a group of 31 children with a narrow upper dental arch and medium to large tonsils showed that 30 of them required both removal of the adenoids and tonsils as well as dental expansion in order to have normal sleep.
Clearly the treatment of sleep apnoea in children is a problem which needs a team approach involving a sleep physician, an ear nose and throat surgeon, and a dentist when necessary.
