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Range of Conditions May Explain Children's Snoring
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Nose and throat problems and obesity often underlie habitual snoring in children, and treating these conditions could help kids start getting a better night's sleep, Italian researchers report.

Their study of more than 2,200 children showed that for the nearly 6% who regularly snored, the problem was closely linked to their body weight, nose conditions such as inflammation of the nasal passages, and throat problems such as enlarged tonsils.

According to the investigators, recognizing and treating these risk factors could improve the quality of children's sleep and possibly prevent the onset of sleep apnea, a potentially serious disorder in which people temporarily but repeatedly stop breathing during sleep.

Researchers led by Dr. Giuseppe M. Corbo of Catholic University in Rome, Italy, report their study findings in the November 5th issue of Pediatrics.

Corbo's team surveyed the parents of children aged 10 to 15 on their kids' snoring habits and respiratory health. The children were asked whether they ever smoked.

The investigators found that boys were more likely than girls to habitually snore, and children in the group with the highest body mass index (BMI) were more than twice as likely as those in the lowest BMI group to have the problem. BMI is a measurement of weight in relation to height.

Habitual snoring was also more common among kids with nasal problems such as a deviated septum or rhinitis--inflammation in the nose, often due to allergies. Children with ``markedly'' enlarged tonsils were, not surprisingly, five times more likely than kids with normal tonsils to habitually snore. These children also tended to be heavier than others, the authors note.

In addition, children who had previously had adenoid tissue removed from the throat, but not their tonsils, were more than four times as likely as other children to snore regularly.

``This finding confirms that adenoidectomy alone could be insufficient treatment,'' Corbo's team writes. ``Moreover, although adenoidectomy is one of the surgical procedures of choice when symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing are present, symptoms could still be present in some patients after surgery.''

As expected, parental smoking--which was closely related to whether the children themselves smoked--was linked to habitual snoring.

Through blood samples, the researchers also discovered that habitual snorers showed higher levels of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of the blood. This, they note, suggests that during sleep these children may experience dips in their oxygen supply. Such oxygen problems can improve when people shed excess pounds, the report indicates.

Doctors should address weight problems along with any nasal or throat conditions to better help children who habitually snore, Corbo and colleagues conclude.

SOURCE: Pediatrics 2001;108:1149-1154.

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