Posts by jimmymaithers:
Child Sleep Apnea Can Lead To Significantly Lower IQ Scores
September 2nd, 2008Child Sleep Apnea Can Cause Substantially Lower IQ Scores
Despite the fact that we have known for a long time now that children with sleep apnea generally display relatively low scores on IQ tests (typically getting an average of 85 as opposed to a score of 101 for children who are not suffering from sleep apnea) one thing that we have have not known until recently is that this results from chemical changes within the brain. This means that an otherwise clever child may well turn in a run of the mill performance because of nothing more than a sleep disorder which, in almost all cases, can be treated reasonably simply.
In a study undertaken in Baltimore, 31 children between the ages of 6 and 16 (19 of whom were suffering from severe sleep apnea) were examined with a special type or MRI and it was noted that the children with sleep apnea displayed significant changes in the right frontal cortex and hippocampus which are areas of the brain which are connected with higher mental function and learning.
This study also found that these kids were suffering from altered levels of three chemicals within the brain which indicated brain damage. This change to the brain chemistry brought about by the presence of sleep apnea may or may not be lasting and, at this point, additional studies will be necessary to see if 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 are going to 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.
Of course, parents should already be on the lookout for signs of sleep apnea in their kids and this study clearly indicates that an early diagnosis and treatment of this sleeping disorder could have a significant affect on your child’s success in later life.
There are many signs of sleep apnea including frequent pauses in breathing during sleep which frequently result in an arousal from sleep and tossing and turning in bed. Children can also display loud or labored breathing, snoring, gasping, coughing and, sometimes, bedwetting at an age when should normally have passed.
Parents might also observe a child sleeping in an odd position, perhaps with their bottom sticking up in the air and with their head tilted back in an effort to force their airway clear.
In most cases child sleep apnea can be treated by removing the tonsils and adenoids, or excess tissue from the back of the throat or nose. In addition, a CPAP machine may also be employed to give the child an airflow delivered using a mask that is worn during sleep to keep the airway open.
In itself sleep apnea is incapacitating for any child and the effect of nights of inadequate sleep are going to take their toll on your child. But, when this is combined with an impairment of your child’s IQ, it is essential that you act at the earliest possible opportunity to have the condition diagnosed and treated.
