TUESDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) — Teenagers with obstructive sleep
apnea are at higher risk of behavioral and learning problems, according to
a new study.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing
repeatedly stops during sleep because the airway is blocked. Common
symptoms include snoring and a loud snort or gasp for breath after a pause
in breathing, which can happen up to 30 times an hour.
Researchers from the University of Arizona, in Tucson, found that
children with sleep apnea who continue to have the disorder in their teens
have more problems with attention, hyperactivity and aggression; more
trouble managing their emotions and social situations; and are less able
to care for themselves without help.
“If left untreated, [obstructive sleep apnea] negatively impacts a
youth’s ability to regulate their behaviors, emotions and social
interactions,” study lead author Michelle Perfect, assistant professor of
disability and psychoeducational studies, said in an American Academy of
Sleep Medicine news release. “These behaviors can interfere with their
ability to care for themselves and engage in socially appropriate
behaviors — skills that are needed to be successful in school.”
The study included 263 children, who were followed up with after five
years. Rates of social, behavioral and learning problems were double and
triple, respectively, among young people with sleep apnea compared to kids
without the disorder.
The researchers noted the higher rate of social and behavioral problems
among teens with sleep apnea could not be explained by other factors, such
as sex, race, ethnicity, body-mass index or age.
Although the study found an association between sleep apnea and
behavioral and social problems in teens, researchers did not prove sleep
apnea causes those problems.
The study was expected to be presented Tuesday at the Associated
Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Boston. Because this study was
presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed
as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides more
information on sleep apnea.
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