Despite the fact that it has been known for quite some time that children who are suffering from sleep apnea usually produce low scores on IQ tests (typically scoring around 85 against a score of 101 for children without sleep apnea) what has not been known until recently is that this results from chemical changes within the brain. What this means is that a normally 'clever' kid could well produce a second-rate performance because of a sleep disorder which can be fairly simply treated in most instances.
In a recent study conducted at the Hopkin's Children's Centre in Baltimore a total of 31 children aged between 6 and 16 (19 of whom were suffering from severe sleep apnea) were examined using a form or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and discovered that those children with sleep apnea demonstrated significant changes in both the hippocampus and right frontal cortex - two sections of the human brain that are linked with learning and higher mental function. This same study also found that these children had unusual levels of three specific chemicals within the brain that is an indicator of brain damage.
This change in the chemistry of the brain brought about by the presence of sleep apnea might or might not be lasting and further studies will be needed to see whether this affect can be reversed. But, even if this problem can be reversed and the cognitive function and chemistry of the brain can be returned to normal, children who are suffering from sleep apnea are going to continue to display a loss in learning as long as they are suffering from sleep apnea which is left untreated and will certainly not be able to turn back the clock and regain this period of learning.
Of course parents should already be on the lookout for signs of sleep apnea in their children but this latest study clearly shows that the early diagnosis and treatment of this sleep disorder could well have a very significant affect on a child's life.
The indications of sleep apnea might include repeated pauses in breathing while sleeping which often cause an arousal from sleep and tossing and turning in bed. A child could also show loud or labored breathing, coughing, snoring, gasping and, sometimes, bedwetting at a time when this period in development ought normally to have passed. Parents might additionally note that a child is sleeping in an unusual position, possibly with their bottom in the air and their head slanted back in an unconscious effort to force open their airway.
In the majority of instances childhood sleep apnea may be treated by the surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids or excess tissue from the back of the throat or nose. In addition, a CPAP (continuous positive airways pressure) machine may also be used to provide the child with a flow of air delivered through a mask worn while sleeping to maintain an open airway.
In itself sleep apnea is detrimental to any child and the affects of an extended period of inadequate sleep will take a toll on your child. But, when this is combined with an impairment of your child's IQ, it is very important that you act as quickly as possible to have this condition diagnosed and treated.
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