New Way to Test Children for Sleep Apnea

Symptoms include snoring, difficulty breathing when asleep, and sleep disturbance. Sometime, parents notice the child becomes completely obstructed despite struggling to breathe. Once diagnosed, however, OSA in children can usually be treated by removing the tonsils and adenoids. Conventional diagnosis involves a detailed evaluation and a considerable waiting time. The new method can detect the worst cases of OSA and quickly get them treated.

"This new method of diagnosing sleep apnea and of prioritizing treatment schedules is a significant advance,” said Dr. Robert Brouillette, McGill University Health Center pediatrician and professor of pediatrics at McGill University (Montreal, Canada). Now we can detect, treat, and cure the worst cases of sleep apnea in just a few days where previously children had to wait months, if diagnostic facilities were even available.”




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