Tonsillectomy Helps Children With Sleep-related Breathing Disorders Sleep Better

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Main Category: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Also Included In: Ear, Nose and Throat;  Pediatrics / Children's Health;  ADHD
Article Date: 16 Oct 2007 - 11:00 PST

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If a child is diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing and has his/her tonsils and adenoids taken out he/she is more likely to sleep better and have improved behavior after the operation, according to an article in Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (JAMA/Archives).

Up to 11% of all children may develop sleep breathing disorders, which include obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, snoring, and other conditions related to affected air flow, the authors explain. Previous studies have linked these conditions with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), hyperactive behavior, bedwetting, learning problems, feeling sleepy during the day, headaches and academic problems.

Julie L. Wei, M.D., University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, and team looked at 117 children who suffered from sleep-disordered breathing and had had their tonsils and adenoids taken out (adenotonsillectomy) - their average age was 6.5 years. Their parents were given questionnaires to fill which asked them about their child's sleep and behavior - this was done twice, before and six months after surgery.

The researchers managed to complete the six-month follow-up with 71 of the children. They found that among them, sleep and behavioral problems were substantially reduced six months after surgery. Improvements were reported in the children's cognitive abilities, hyperactivity, confrontational behavior and ADHD.

The authors added "Not only did both behavior and sleep improve independently before and after adenotonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing in our group of patients, but they also improved in correlation with each other."

"Improved Behavior and Sleep After Adenotonsillectomy in Children With Sleep-Disordered Breathing"
Julie L. Wei, MD; Matthew S. Mayo, PhD; Holly J. Smith, MA; Matt Reese, PhD; Robert A. Weatherly, MD
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007;133:974-979.
-- Click here to view abstract online

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
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