Recent breakthrough in sleep breathing disorders

Preventing learning difficulties in children who snore

Members of the sleep disorders team at the Children's Research Centre have shown that children who snore have a lower IQ than children who breathe normally during sleep. This research team has also proven for the first time that even the mildest form of sleep breathing disorder can affect the brain, heart, blood vessels and pancreas, and that it may also increase the risk of diabetes, obesity and poor cardiovascular health later on in life. These results have been derived by comparing large numbers of sleep-affected children with healthy "control" children, and following them over time to study the long-term impact of treatment for sleep breathing problems. This type of ‘longitudinal' study has rarely been attempted in children's sleep, but is considered to be one of the most powerful forms of research when considering the revision of current treatments. As a result of this research, the Children's Research Centre has highlighted the importance of diagnosing and treating children with sleep breathing problems at the earliest possible opportunity, in order to prevent them from developing chronic diseases in adulthood.