Symptoms and treatment of nocturnal sleep apnea in children

1 Causes of the development of the disease

Apnea in children occurs when certain factors contribute to blocking the passageways of the upper respiratory tract of the child. This leads to the suspension of the breathing process.

Causes of sleep apnea in children:

• permanent colds;
• presence of infectious diseases;
• increased adenoids and tonsils;
• defects of the anatomical structure( displacement of the nasal septum, congenital narrowing of the larynx);
• obesity;
• swelling of the nasopharynx for allergies;
• low blood pressure;
• lowering of the chin or palate;
• underdeveloped nervous system;
• various hereditary pathologies;
• disruption of the brain( with preterm birth, intrauterine infection of the fetus, birth trauma);
• the presence of anemia;
• increased bilirubin in the blood;
• cleft lip.

The risk of developing apnea in children born with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome is high. The disease can provoke some medications, which the future mother or child took.

To factors that increase the incidence of pathology, include:

• parents' predilection for smoking and alcoholism;
• is the early or rather mature age of parents;
• defective ration of the future mother;
• transferred by a pregnant woman.

The risk group includes:

• of infants born with low body weight( less than 2 kg);
• premature infants;
• babies with impaired or underdeveloped CNS.

Practice shows that nighttime apnea is more common in African American babies.

2 Signs of a disorder in toddlers

In children, pathology can be observed at any age. In most cases, babies suffer from 2 to 8 months. During the night, breathing can stop several times. Seizures usually last no more than 10 seconds.

Symptoms indicative of the development of apnea:

• loud intermittent rapid breathing;
• long pauses between inhalation and exhalation;
• snoring or coughing;
• hectic behavior;
• fast fatigue;
• not strong sleep;
• profuse sweating;
• absence of chest movements;
• enuresis( in rare cases).

The presence of snoring during sleep is not always the manifestation of apnea in children. But in some cases it acts as an easy form of pathology. Babies, who have sleep apnea, wake up several times at night. Therefore, during the daytime they look sleepy, tired and easily excited.

If the cases are severe, then can be traced:

• blue skin;
• pallor of the face;
• weak heart beat;
• reduction in muscle tone;
• loss of consciousness.

This condition of the child requires immediate intervention of a specialist. Otherwise, it is fraught with a fatal outcome.

In children with apnea, growth slows down. It is caused by a decrease in the production of growth hormone.

4 Treatment measures

Therapy for stopping breathing in sleep is performed by an otolaryngologist or somnologist. The effectiveness of treatment is associated with early detection of the disease and the definition of its causes. Apnea is quite difficult to diagnose, even with all the modern technical capabilities of medical science.

Therefore, if there are several of his symptoms, you should show the child to a specialist. Doctors can advise to conduct a polysomnogram( examination of a night's sleep).This will help identify the underlying problems of the disease.

Treatment of children of different age groups has its own characteristics. Special approaches require the treatment of premature infants and infants. In most cases, after the central nervous system of the babies is finally formed, apnea also passes.

When treating children after 3 years, the emphasis should be on eliminating the underlying pathology causing malfunctions in the respiratory system( treatment of ENT diseases, bite correction, weight reduction).Sometimes this requires surgical intervention. If there are seizures during seizures, they should be treated with anticonvulsant drugs.

To prevent the possibility of stopping breathing during sleep in young children, the following activities will help:

1. You should put the baby to sleep on your side or stomach.
2. It is preferable to put the child to sleep without a pillow.
3. The mattress must be elastic.
4. It is systematically required to ventilate the baby's bedroom.
5. Do not allow the baby to overheat.
6. Sleepwear should be free( it is absolutely forbidden to clothe a child).
7. Walking in the fresh air should be regular.

If a baby( at least once) has seen an apnea case, it is required to show it to a pediatrician in a short time. For such a child it is required to constantly observe and control it during the sleep period.

Traditional medicine has in its arsenal of a variety of methods, how to get rid of apnea and improve the quality of sleep. Some of them( having consulted with a doctor in advance) can be used to alleviate the condition of the child:

1. Walking on foot before going to bed for 30-40 minutes.
2. To remove from the diet of sweets, bananas, wheat bread.
3. Sleep on a hard mattress only in the position on the side or on the stomach.
4. Rinse your throat before going to bed and after eating with infusion of calendula and oak bark. To do this, 1 tbsp.l.plants pour 500 ml of hot water. Boil. Let it brew for 2 hours.
5. Moisten the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose before going to sleep with salt water. To do this, dissolve 0.5 tsp.salt in ½ cup of water.
6. Before eating for 1 hour you can eat 1 baked carrot.
7. Take 200 ml of cabbage juice with 1 tbsp. For 30 days before bedtime.l.honey.
8. 4 hours before bedtime, 4 to 5 drops of sea-buckthorn oil are buried in the nose for several months. This will help to improve breathing.
9. Do inhalation with the addition of essential oil of eucalyptus.
10. Drink teas with the addition of herbs thyme or mint.
11. The essential oil of thyme, added to a container of water, can be sprayed around the room.

To increase the tone of the pharyngeal muscles, it is recommended to perform each day of exercise:

1. Push the tongue as far forward as possible to try to reach the chin for 2 seconds( 30 times in the morning and before going to bed).
2. Helping the hand, move the lower jaw back and forth( for 30 movements in the morning and in the evening).
3. Press your left nostril with your finger and inhale through the right nostril. Then vice versa. Inhale through the left nostril, and exhale through the right nostril. Then vice versa. Exercise slowly for 10 minutes before bedtime.
4. Firmly clamp your teeth with a wooden pencil or stick for 3 minutes.
5. Peuches and loudly pronounce the sound "and"( for 30 repetitions 2 times a day).

Performing these simple exercises for 1 month will help reduce the number of breath stops in a dream.

If you do not treat nighttime apnea, then the ailment can provoke complications in the cardiovascular system and adversely affect the development of the child's brain.

This will lead to a deterioration in the quality of life: to problems with behavior and future learning.

3 Species and consequences of the pathology

The disease has the following types:

1. Central nocturnal apnea. It causes disruptions in the work of the center of the brain, which is responsible for breathing. Pathology develops very rarely in babies prone to cyanosis.
2. Obstructive nocturnal apnea. It occurs because of a decrease in the lumen of the upper respiratory tract in diseases that are not related to the activity of the nervous system. Reducing the muscle tone of the tongue and oropharynx leads to a stopping of the breathing process.
3. Mixed apnea. This is a mixed view. It develops because of the presence of the causes of both the first and the second species.

Sleep disorder, manifested every night, has the following negative consequences:

1. Chronic hypoxia. The brain is constantly disastrously deprived of the opportunity to normally receive oxygen. For this reason, its cells are destroyed. This leads to the development of neurological disorders.
2. Heart rate abnormalities.
3. Sharp jumps of blood pressure.

A sudden temporary respiratory arrest occurs in 3% of newborn babies. In 20% of babies who died because of the syndrome of sudden infant death, previously there was an apnea. And the syndrome deprives the life of absolutely healthy babies. Until now, it's unclear why they stop breathing.

5 First aid

If the baby's breathing is delayed for more than 10 seconds, immediate emergency care is required. To take a breath, you need to take the following measures:

1. It is required to make the baby wake from sleep. For this it is necessary to brake him, to slap on the cheeks, to pinch, to splash with cold water.
2. Well hand massage of hands, feet, earlobes helps.
3. Should be thrown back the child's head. Then open his mouth and check for foreign bodies in the airway.
4. It is necessary to pull out a sunken tongue and then follow that it does not hit the throat.
5. If there is no breathing in the baby, blue lips and fingers should be wrapped around the lips of his mouth and nose. After this, make 5-6 smooth breaths, while performing a heart massage. Sharp breaths can not be done, because you can damage the lungs.
6. Call an ambulance.
7. Continue to perform all actions until the arrival of the doctor.

The main thing is never to panic. The accuracy of these actions depends on the health, and sometimes the life of the child.