Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB)

Physicians are on the right track if they evaluate the tonsils and adenoids, but they often ignore the effect of a tongue-tie.

Sleep-disordered breathing in children is a timely public health concern. As demonstrated in one study, a large percentage of children with hyperactivity or inattentive behaviors had underlying sleep-disordered breathing. These children would be cared for more effectively with appropriate recognition and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing than with the use of stimulant medications.

• Poor growth and failure to thrive are both more common in children with sleep-disordered breathing.
• There is a strong correlation between sleep disordered breathing and reduced IQ.
• Sleep disordered breathing may increase the possibility of ADD/ADHD by 50%.

Long-term Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Concerns

Sleep apnea has several long-term consequences that can be problematic for later childhood development and frequently persists into adulthood.

If left untreated, OSA can cause poor growth (“failure to thrive”), high blood pressure, and heart and development problems. OSA can also affect behavior and cognition due to the interference of healthy sleep and the recovery that happens during that time. When the airway is compromised the brain may get reduced oxygen and that can result in a variety of behavior concerns and negatively affect brain growth. Therefore, it is important to get evaluated for OSA as early in life as possible and ideally even in infancy.

"A snoring baby is not cute - it's very concerning." 

 - Dr. Soroush Zaghi, MD, ENT - zaghimd.com

One of the most prominent long-term consequences of pediatric sleep apnea is the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. In fact, up to 95% of obstructive sleep apnea patients have some level of attentional problems (Youseff et al., 2011). This has led to a high rate of misdiagnosis of ADHD, as some children labeled as having ADHD may actually be experiencing attentional issues related to a sleep disorder and/or breathing struggles.

Jiang F: Sleep and Early Brain Development. Ann Nutr Metab 2019;75(suppl 1):44-54. doi: 10.1159/000508055

Restricted Tethered Oral Tissues (RTOTS) Can Contribute to Many Different Health and Behavior Challenges!

Has your child been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD when they might also have undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea?

• Are you being told there is nothing wrong with your child by your PCP or ENT physician?
• Is your child labeled as having ADD/ADHD?
• Have you been going from physician to physician, and yet no one can find out why your child has so many struggles and symptoms that seem unrelated?
• Has anyone properly evaluated your infant’s tethered oral tissue, such as upper lip, upper check, or tongue for restrictions or airway blockage?
• Has the tongue been ignored as a different potential contributor to so many problems?

"RTOTS" can cause gastric reflux and CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MORE THAN 29 ADVERSE SYSTEMIC AND LOCALIZED HEALTH PROBLEMS in adults and children such as:

1. Unhealthy growth and development of the hard palate
2. Unhealthy growth and development of the maxillary dental arch
3. Unhealthy growth and development of the mandibular dental arch
4. Development of improper occlusion - "crooked teeth" and "bad bite" 
5. Poor patency of the maxillary sinus - Nasal obstruction
6. Pseudo-macroglossia - "tongue feels too big"
7. Mouth breathing - Poor lip and tongue function
8. Diastema "gaps" between either or both upper and lower central incisors
9. Speech problems
10. Posture abnormalities/pain - headaches, sore muscles
11. Facial growth and development
12. Dysfunctional breathing
13. SIDS
14. Interferes with proper latch for breastfeeding
15. Reduced milk production in breastfeeding mother
16. Postpartum depression/failure to bond between new mother and baby
17. Air induced reflux - many babies get placed on adult anti-reflux meds!
18. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
19. Blocked airways
20. Sleep disordered breathing (30 or more symptoms)
21. Development of adverse behavior (ADD/ADHD)
22. Eating difficulties with solid foods (GI problems)
23. Failure to thrive in infants
24. Social/ sexual difficulties
25. Dental decay
26. Bed-wetting
27. Grinding teeth - high rate of tooth wear, cracked and broken teeth
28. Thumb sucking
29. Night fears

A great Book regarding RTOTS and babies: "SOS 4 TOTS" by Dr. Kotlow

"As a parent, you have great expectations for motherhood. Unfortunately for many mothers breastfeeding may become a toe-curling, painful experience because of poor or missed diagnoses of tethered oral tissues such as tongue-ties and lip-ties. Dr. Kotlow's book, SOS 4 TOTS, demystifies why"

"If you are a mother who has been suffering needlessly; there may be times when you will cry as you read this book because you will realize the problems are not your fault; the professionals on whom you were depending for help had a basic lack of understanding. SOS 4 TOTS seeks to expose the myths about breastfeeding and heal the heartbreak to make breastfeeding a joy."

Click here to learn more and purchase the book.

More to Come!