Prevention Of Sleep Apnea Risks

Sleep apnea in children and babies is potentially life threatening. For the prevention of sleep apnea risks, early diagnosis and medical sleep apnea solutions (monitor, CPAP, surgery, ...) are crucial.

Strictly speaking, the term 'apnea' means just 'breathing pause'. All children, and especially young babies, have these breathing pauses normally.

It's when the pauses become long (+20 seconds for a baby, +10 seconds for a child) that it becomes a condition that can be life threatening and/or cause severe health problems.

In most cases, sleep apnea - the condition - cannot be prevented as it is a physical condition: brain signal failure in central sleep apnea and airway blocking in obstructive sleep apnea.

Preventing sleep apnea means preventing the too long breathing pauses in order to reduce the risks they create.

Risks

The risks of severe sleep apnea in babies include death and severe heart or brain damage. Very poor sleep quality is a less serious effect but it can lead to health problems too, and of course make your baby uncomfortable, cranky and irritable.

Severe sleep apnea in children and toddlers of 2 years and older can cause developmental and growth problems as well as heart problems. Learning difficulties and behavioural problems such as frustration, aggressiveness, anxiety and social difficulties are also common.

Top of page

Prevention of Sleep Apnea Risks

Early diagnosis is the key in preventing the risks of sleep apnea. If your baby or child shows any of the sleep apnea signs, do not hesitate and consult your doctor right away.

Ideally a specialised pediatric sleep centre will perform a sleep study or take an overnight polysomnography to confirm the sleep apnea or rule it out.

Once diagnosed, the best-suited of the different sleep apnea solutions must be selected. Available solutions include a sleep apnea or breathing monitor, sleep apnea medication, a CPAP machine and in +2 year olds tonsil surgery.

There is some controversy on whether sleep apnea 'causes' sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Researchers have not shown a conclusive link (SIDS remains unexplained, contrary to sleep apnea).

So, even if sleep apnea is caused by a physical condition, and not by an unhealthy sleep environment, all crib safety guidelines are always crucial: starting with a well-aired, not too hot not too cold room and a safe crib or bed.

Being overweight can also be a factor in sleep apnea in children so losing weight can be part of the prevention.

Top of page