Causes Of Sleep Apnea In Infants

Infant sleep apnea has two general causes. There are several signs a parent can look for to determine if their child might have it.

Baby Sleep Apnea Could This Be Why Your Baby Wakes At Night And

It also can be a secondary problem that is caused by another medical condition.

Causes of sleep apnea in infants. Sleep apnea in infants can be serious even fatal. When detected early it can be treated to prevent other long term complications. However it can go unnoticed to the untrained eye.

Pediatric sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where a child has brief pauses in breathing while sleeping. Sleep apnea has many different possible causes. It is less common in infants under the age of six months.

It is common for there to be some instability in an infant s breathing. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder in which breathing is interrupted repeatedly during sleep. It s believed that 1 to 4 percent of children in the united states have sleep apnea.

The prevalence in infants is still unknown but between one and five percent of children have sleep apnea. The infant even may lose consciousness and need to be resuscitated. If left untreated it could lead to serious complications such as a slow heart rate and poor growth.

It sometimes occurs in larger preterm or full term infants. During the first month after birth it occurs in 84 percent of infants who weigh less than 2 2 pounds. What is sleep apnea in babies.

The condition is due to narrowing or blockage of the upper airway during sleep. We must all know the risks recognize the symptoms and find the right treatments. Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which your child s breathing is partially or completely blocked repeatedly during sleep.

In the past medical experts believed apnea was linked to a higher risk of sudden infant. Partial reductions in breathing that occur during an infant s sleep are called hypopneas likewise complete pauses in breathing are called apneas here we are dealing with symptoms causes and treatments. Sleep apnea is a sleep related breathing disorder and there are two types.

It can be a developmental problem that results from an immature brainstem. Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous breathing disorder observed in babies while they sleep. According to medical experts breaks between breathing that last for less than 15 seconds is called periodic.

Sleep apnea in babies isn t a rare phenomenon. In adults the most common cause of obstructive sleep apnea is excess weight and obesity which is associated with soft tissue of the mouth and throat. There are differences between pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and adult sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Small preterm infants are most likely to have infant sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea breathing pauses due to brain signal failure is the most common type in infants below 1 year old.

Keeping an eye out for certain symptoms will help you figure out whether your child suffers from the condition.

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