Children who snore may be at an increased risk of learning problems

(TeleManagement) Snoring is common among children, with between 3 and 12% affected by the condition. Some of these children suffer from obstructive sleep apnea – a condition where the airways become obstructed, causing the child to briefly stop breathing several times throughout the night.

Experts have known for some time that obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of learning problems and behavioral problems in children. However, it was unclear whether children who snored but did not suffer from obstructive sleep apnea were also at risk from learning problems.

Researchers from the University of Louisville, US, compared 87 children who snored but did not have obstructive sleep apnea with 31 children who did not snore. The children, all aged from five to seven years, were monitored in a lab while they slept and given a series of tests the next morning. The tests were designed to measure learning abilities, attention, and general intelligence. The children’s parents also answered questions about their child’s behavior.

The researchers found that children who snored performed significantly worse on the tests.

Children with obstructive sleep apnea can experience improvements in their learning if they have their adenoids and tonsils removed, the researchers say. They suggests that any children with learning or behavioral problems who frequently snore should be checked by a sleep specialist to see whether they suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.