Sleep Apnea Solutions for Babies, Toddlers and Children
Which sleep apnea solutions can help your baby, toddler or child? When is a breathing monitor, sleep apnea medication, tonsil surgery, or a CPAP device advised?In all cases, your doctor, preferably a pediatric sleep specialist, will determine which sleep apnea remedies best fit your child and his condition. The overview below gives the most common and successful sleep apnea solutions for children of all ages used today. Use them as a step-up to discuss them with your doctor.
Sleep Apnea Solutions for Babies
Sleep apnea in infants under 1 year old is usually Central Sleep Apnea, when a failing brain signal causes the sleep apnea breathing pauses. That means that there is no physical blockage of the airways (which is the case with obstructive sleep apnea, typical in older children, see below).The first step is usually a breathing or sleep apnea monitor. When asleep your baby is connected to the monitor. It records her breathing and heart rate and warns you as soon as they reach critical values.
Alternatively, or at the same time, your pediatrician may prescribe sleep apnea medication. Since the breathing pauses in central sleep apnea are due to a failed brain signal, the medication will work on enhancing or improving that signal.
A CPAP mask is rarely prescribed for babies. Since central sleep apnea (the most common type in young babies) does not involve a physical blocking of baby's airways (unlike for obstructive sleep apnea in children, see below), they most often do not bring much relief.
However, some pediatricians do prescribe it, for example when your baby's sleep apnea is of the obstructive or mixed type.
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Sleep Apnea Solutions for Toddlers and Older Children
Obstructive Sleep Apnea in children is the most common type at this age.- The peak age for sleep apnea in children is between 2 and 6 years old. This is an age where a child's tonsils and adenoids can typically be quite large compared to their throats and airways. That is the reason why tonsil surgery is often very effective.
The operation,
called T&A
surgery or Tonsillectomy
and Adenoidectomy involves removing both the Tonsils
(glands at the back of the throat) and the Adenoids (at the back of the
nose).
This operation
is not without risks. It is a serious surgical
treatment. It will of course be avoided when diagnosis is uncertain or
if your child is at
risk of serious complications.
- A CPAP device is another possible solution, advised when the T&A surgery is dis advised or does not help.
Sleep Apnea
Worried? Questions? Ask A Question!
CPAP is for Continuous
Positive
Airway
Pressure.
The CPAP machine compresses the air in the room and sends it to a mask
through a hose. The mask covers the nose. the high-pressure air keeps
the airways open, avoiding the sleep apnea breathing pauses.
Although CPAP
can be very effective, not all experts agree on its use
for children. To start with, it is not comfortable to sleep with a
mask, near a machine. Use of CPAP will of course only be done in strong
agreement and cooperation between you and your child's
doctor.
- In some cases, a child's sleep apnea can be caused or made worse by obesity. Losing weight is then a first step towards any treatment. Also other health issues will benefit from losing weight.
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