How Pediatric Sleep Apnea is Treated

Pediatric Sleep Apnea and Treatment Methods

Does your child snore, breathe through their mouth, or experience pauses in breathing while sleeping? They may be suffering from pediatric sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a difficult condition that can increase your risk for many dangerous health complications. For children, it can cause lifelong damaging effects. If your child has been recently diagnosed with pediatric sleep apnea, or you suspect they may have it, you may be researching treatment options that you feel comfortable with for your child. Your child doesn’t have to resort to surgery or sign up for a lifelong commitment to a dangerous CPAP machine; better treatment methods are available. Keep reading to learn more about pediatric sleep apnea, treatment methods, and how the Vivos Method for Pediatric Sleep Apnea can help your child live a better, fuller, healthier life.

What is Pediatric Sleep Apnea?

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a childhood disorder in which there is upper airway dysfunction causing complete or partial airway obstruction during sleep leading to decreased oxygen saturation or arousals from sleep. It can have dramatic effects on childhood behavior, neurodevelopment, metabolism, and overall health. Early recognition, evaluation, and treatment are important to prevent long-term consequences.

Some facts regarding pediatric sleep apnea include:

• The incidence of pediatric OSA peaks between 2 and 8 years of age due to the increased growth of tonsils and adenoids relative to the size of the upper airway in this age group.
• Risk factors for early-onset OSA include prematurity, Down syndrome, African-American race, and daycare attendance.
• The severity can be increased in those with obesity, tobacco exposure, and reduced family income.
• Boys are at an increased risk after puberty, but the prepubertal risk is equal among boys and girls.

Understanding the Signs and Symptoms

The hallmark symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, mouth breathing, and pauses in breathing during sleep. However, since we aren’t always sleeping in the same room as our children, it can be more difficult to notice these signs and symptoms unless their snoring is loud and clear.

There are other symptoms of sleep apnea that occur, which are easier for parents to notice and observe. Some of the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea, including those that do not happen while your child is asleep, include:

• Breathing mainly through the mouth
• Restless sleep and frequent wake-ups
• Sleepwalking
• Bedwetting, specifically if your child was previously dry throughout the night
• Changes in muscle tone
• Sleeping in strange positions
• Irritability
• Daytime sleepiness
• Requiring a nap most days past the toddler ages
• Frequent headaches
• Frequent bad breath
• Dental issues such as frequent cavities or gum issues
• Hyperactivity that could be confused with ADHD
• A decline in performance at school or in sports
• Obesity

Symptoms for pediatric sleep apnea vary greatly. Some children may experience only a few of the above symptoms, while some children may experience all of them. It is important to notice any behaviors that do not seem normal for your child, come on suddenly, or are particularly concerning. Speaking with your doctor to help assess their symptoms will help your doctor properly diagnose your child, and they may require a sleep test to confirm their diagnosis.

Pediatric Sleep Apnea is Often Confused With….

Pediatric sleep apnea can be difficult to diagnose because many of the symptoms that occur are behavioral and, as parents, you can understand that children are often unpredictable and experience phases throughout life. However, some of the typical things that pediatric sleep apnea is often confused with include:

• ADHD. One of the many symptoms of both pediatric sleep apnea and ADHD is hyperactivity. Hyperactivity is common for children who experience pediatric OSA because they are usually tired, leading them to become hyper and experience surges of energy to stay awake. This can often lead to a misdiagnosis of ADHD when, really, your child just simply needs a better quality night’s sleep.
• Learning disabilities. In most cases of pediatric sleep apnea, children have difficulty concentrating and focusing in school. They are tired, which can lead to poor performance at school, paying attention in class, and lack of motivation regarding school. This can lead to a misdiagnosis of a learning disability. With pediatric OSA treatment, your child can focus better at school and be more willing to pay attention.
• Bad behavior. Children who are suffering from pediatric sleep apnea are often hyperactive, irritable, and moody due to the extreme fatigue that they experience. This can be difficult for parents or caregivers to experience on a daily basis, leading this group of symptoms to be written off as a child who has “bad behavior” issues.

How Sleep Apnea Affects Children Long-Term

Your child’s snoring and mouthbreathing aren’t just an annoying habit or the way they were born—they are dangerous symptoms of a serious health condition that should be taken seriously. Children who experience pediatric sleep apnea will see an increased risk of many other health issues and could experience them at a very young age.

Some of the ways your child could be affected by pediatric OSA for life include:

• Learning potential. As mentioned earlier in this blog, the extreme fatigue that children with OSA experience will cause them to be less interested in school. This can lead to a change in opportunities, potential, and life direction that could have been very different with proper OSA diagnosis and treatment.
• Growth and development issues. Children who breathe through their mouths during their childhood will experience a change in their face shape. This change can be corrected through committed Myofunctional therapy; however, it can be avoided altogether with proper OSA treatment. Some of the growth and development issues include a narrow face, receding chin, crowded teeth, gummy smile, poor posture, TMJ, and many more.
• Heart issues. Children who experience pediatric OSA are at a much higher risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, prediabetes, and strokes in their lives.
• Brain issues. Aside from difficulty focusing in school, pediatric OSA can cause other brain-related issues. They include memory retention issues, a higher risk of developing dementia, and an impaired ability to problem-solve that can last throughout life.

Can Pediatric Sleep Apnea Be Treated?

Pediatric sleep apnea is a serious and scary condition for a child to develop. Luckily, there are many steps you can take as a parent to ensure that your child overcomes this sleep disorder and lives a full, healthy, happy life free of the issues that OSA causes.

1. Step 1. First and foremost, it is important to understand the dangers of undiagnosed sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a very common condition, but many people fail to seek treatment. Understanding that this condition can worsen your child’s quality of life and that treatment will help them live a better life is the first step toward making sure your child is healthy and happy.
2. Step 2. Next, you will want to speak with your child’s pediatrician, who may recommend that you meet with a sleep specialist. Your child’s doctor will asses their symptoms and may prescribe a sleep study to confirm their diagnosis of sleep apnea.
3. Step 3. Once you receive your child’s sleep apnea diagnosis, you can begin treatment. Meeting with a sleep apnea specialist, such as Gorman Health and Wellness, can help you explore many different treatment options for your child. You will want to rule out tonsil or adenoid surgery then explore other treatments such as the Vivos Method.

Will My Child Require a CPAP Machine?

The answer is: No!

One of the most common questions people ask regarding sleep apnea treatment is whether or not they will have to resign to a lifetime of being chained to a CPAP machine. In fact, it is one of the top reasons that deters people from seeking sleep apnea treatment.

There are many reasons why CPAP machines are not the ideal way to treat sleep apnea. They include:

• Not treating the root cause. There is a reason that CPAP machines are the most commonly prescribed sleep apnea treatment: because they are a bandaid that works for everybody who experiences OSA. They force pressure into your airways, opening them up and allowing oxygen to enter your lungs, which helps you sleep better. However, this does not actually treat your sleep apnea, and the day you stop using your CPAP machine is the day your OSA symptoms will return.
• Loud and bulky. CPAP machines are loud, which is difficult for the user to get used to. In addition, the loud sounds of the machine may not offer any relief to bed partners in relation to the original snoring that OSA caused. In addition, CPAP machines are big, bulky, uncomfortable, cover most of the face, and are generally uncomfortable.
• Difficult to maintain. CPAP machines require regular maintenance to clean and keep up with parts. This can be difficult for parents and children to keep up with and do, and it can lead to broken machines or moldy machines.
• Dangerous recalls. CPAP machines are not perfect; there have been many dangerous recalls related to CPAP machines regarding loose parts that shoot into the mask.

The Vivos Method for Sleep Apnea Treatment in Children

Vivos Therapeutics, Inc., a leading medical device and technology company specializing in the development and commercialization of proprietary treatments for sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs), including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), today announced receipt of what is believed to be the first-ever U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance to treat moderate to severe OSA and snoring in children using Vivos’ proprietary flagship oral medical device.

Forty-eight patients (with a mean age 10.6 years and ranging from 4.5-14.8 years) completed the study. Symptoms of SRBD (such as fatigue, lack of attention, and snoring) decreased from 0.28 to 0.14 (a reduction of 50%), while snoring decreased by 58%. The improvement in moderate and severe AHI measurements was 62.7%. Ninety-six percent (96%) of patients improved or stayed the same, while 92% improved by greater than 50% or 1 classification in the moderate and severe categories. 100% of the severe patients achieved this milestone. Airway volumes increased by 40% on average. All values were highly statistically significant (p<0.0001). No safety concerns were reported in the study.

The Vivos Method includes treatment regimens that employ proprietary CARE appliance therapy and other appliances that alter the size, shape, and position of the soft tissues that comprise a patient’s upper airway and/or palate. The Vivos Method opens airway space and may significantly reduce symptoms and conditions associated with mild-to-severe OSA in adults, such as lowering Apnea Hypopnea Index scores. Vivos also employs a marketing and distribution model that collaborates with sleep.

Pediatric Sleep Apnea Treatment with Gorman Health and Wellness

Dr. Gorman is a part of the breathing wellness movement, which aims to increase awareness and improve treatment for sleep-related airway conditions like sleep apnea. He is also one of the few sleep apnea specialists in the area who can prescribe this groundbreaking treatment for your child.

Underlying causes of airway obstruction are treated in 98% of cases, resulting in a high success rate among sleep apnea patients. For every sleep apnea case at our practice, Dr. Gorman will gather patient data and determine the patient’s specific needs based on home sleep test results, dental impressions, CT scans, and images. Our state-of-the-art technology, paired with Dr. Gorman’s experience with sleep disorders, allows him to find the most effective treatment plan for each individual’s particular case, yielding improved daytime and nighttime breathing for the patient.

“I have been helping people suffering from Sleep Apnea with a non-invasive, clinically approved treatment method. This method has allowed my patients to sleep with far fewer events per hour allowing them to get rid of their CPAP and BiPAP machines. Imagine not having to use one of those machines, getting back a much greater quality of life along with the benefits of being able to breathe better.” – Dr. Gorman.

For more information on Dr. Gorman and treating your child’s pediatric sleep apnea, visit us at MGormanDental.com!