Child Sleep Apnea Can Lead To Substantially Lower IQ Scores

Although it has been known for a long time that children who suffer from sleep apnea often produce relatively low scores on IQ tests (normally getting an average of 85 against a score of 101 for children without sleep apnea) one thing which has not been known until quite recently is that this results from chemical changes in the brain. This means that an otherwise bright kid may well produce a second-rate performance as a result of nothing more than a sleeping problem that, in the majority of cases, can be relatively easily treated.

In a recent study conducted in Baltimore, 31 children between the ages of 6 and 16 (19 of whom were suffering from severe sleep apnea) were examined with a special form or magnetic resonance imager (MRI) and it was noted that the children suffering from sleep apnea displayed important changes in the right frontal cortex and hippocampus which are parts of the brain which are associated with higher mental function and learning.

This study also showed that these kids were suffering from levels of three brain chemicals which were indicative of brain damage. This alteration of the chemistry of the brain brought about by the presence of sleep apnea may or may not be lasting and, at this point, further studies are needed to see whether or not this effect can be reversed.

Even if reversal is possible however and the brain chemistry and cognitive function can be normalized, children with sleep apnea will suffer a loss in learning as long as they are suffering from untreated sleep apnea and certainly cannot rewind time and regain this learning period.

Parents should of course already be looking out for the signs of sleep apnea in their children but this study clearly indicates that early diagnosis and treatment of this sleeping problem might have a substantial affect on your child’s success in later life.

There are a number of signs of sleep apnea including frequent pauses in breathing while sleeping that often lead to an arousal from sleep and tossing and turning in bed. Children may also display loud or labored breathing, snoring, coughing, gasping and, occasionally, bedwetting at a time when this phase should usually have passed.

Parents can also notice that a child is sleeping in a strange position, perhaps with their bottom pointing up into the air and with their head tilted backwards in an effort to keep their airway open.

In very many cases child sleep apnea can be effectively treated by taking out the adenoids or tonsils, or by removing excess tissue from the back of the throat or nose. In addition, a continuous positive airways pressure machine (or pediatric CPAP) may also be used to provide the child with an airflow delivered using a mask worn during sleep to keep the airway open.

In itself sleep apnea is debilitating for any child and the effect of nights of poor quality sleep will take their toll on your child. However, when you combine this with an impairment of your child’s IQ, it is imperative that you act at the earliest possible opportunity to get this condition diagnosed and treated.