By Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian

Children, just like adults can suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, brought on by enlarged tonsils and adenoids.

Today, as many as 3 percent of all children and as many as 30 percent of overweight or obese children have the condition. And about 75 percent of the 500,000 surgeries performed each year to remove tonsils or adenoids are to cure the sleep disorder, rather than chronic infections such as tonsillitis.

Dr. Ron Mitchell, professor of otolaryngology at St. Louis University, is recruiting children for a study to compare those who undergo surgery to remove their tonsils or adenoids versus those who receive treatments, such as a saline nasal spray.

SLU is one of six research sites nationwide participating in the ChildHood AdenoTonsillectomy study that will look at 500 children with obstructive sleep apnea. It’s being funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“In normal weight kids, (sleep apnea) is usually from tonsils and adenoids that start getting larger at age 3 and stop at about age 8, then shrink in the teen years,” says Mitchell. “They can get so big that they block the nose and mouth so air flow is restricted, similar to what happens in adults.”

These children, he adds, often experience quality of life and health issues in the form of learning problems, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, obesity, pre-diabetes, slow growth and high cholesterol.

During the study, the children will undergo an overnight sleep study to see if they have sleep apnea. Researchers will also determine if they have any health or quality of life issues.
Those who have sleep apnea will be divided into two groups: one will have their tonsils and adenoids removed; the other will get saline nasal spray to use each day. Seven months later, they’ll undergo another sleep apnea test and will be evaluated again for the health conditions and behavioral issues.

Mitchell hopes the study will help doctors better determine when to recommend surgery and when to wait and see if the child grows out of the problem.

“This will allow us to use health care resources more effectively,” he says. “We’ll be able to counsel parents in a more evidence-base manner.”

The study will include seven visits over a year, and participants will be reimbursed up to $500 for time and travel. Children must be between the ages of 5 and 9. To learn more, call Casey Critchlow at 314-268-2700, Ext. 1090.

Source :    stltoday.com