My child snores: what should I do?

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Extract from the article: Snoring in children may seem harmless. But when it's chronic, it can be an indication of an underlying problem, leading to numerous disorders of the brain, heart, growth and behavior.

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Snoring in children may seem harmless. But when it's chronic, it can be an indication of an underlying problem, leading to numerous disorders of the brain, heart, growth and behavior.

Some children under 6 snore. When it's occasional, this harmless symptom can be considered of little alarm. A simple cold almost always causes some nasal congestion.  The resulting reduction in breathing efficiency can cause snoring. But in the case of chronic snoring, it's a different story. In fact, it can indicate the presence of a sleep disorder, which in turn can have health consequences.

During medical visits, parents may feel that it's not important to report their child's snoring. Pediatricians may not regularly ask about it. Yet this is not a problem to be taken lightly.  Snoring in many children is significantly associated with hyperactive and inattentive behavior, as well as relationship and emotional problems.

Monitoring snoring frequency

If, outside cold periods, your child snores every night, and if the snoring is interrupted by pauses in breathing, you should pay particular attention.Observe and listen while the child sleeps. Other symptoms, such as excessive sweating, restless sleep, waking up at night, drinking and urinating in bed, may occur.During the day, the child is tired, irritated and overexcited.They have difficulty concentrating. Consult a health professional

If snoring is common in the family, this does not mean there is no problem.Some children suffer from sleep apnea. Often, the cause lies in enlarged tonsils, especially around the age of 4-5.Surgery is therefore necessary.Left untreated, the brain and heart can suffer from a lack of oxygenation at night. In the most severe cases, the lack of growth hormone secreted at night can influence the child's height and weight.

William O.

Article validated by Dr Jean-Claude Bakpatina, General Practitioner at the “Floreal” clinic in Lomé.