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Sleep apnea in kids is defined as repeated episodes of complete or partial airway closure that occurs during sleep and affects their breathing and their sleep patterns. This condition is seen in all age ranges of children from newborns to adolescents, and can have different manifestations. A lot of children snore, but not every child has sleep apnea. Snoring is seen in about 20 to 30% of children. And about two to 5% of children have sleep apnea. The most common age group with sleep apnea in children is age two to eight years old. And this is when the tonsils and adenoids get bigger. Sleep apnea can, however, affect infants and adolescents. As we know, children are not little adults. And so there are differences between pediatric obstructive sleep apnea as well as adult sleep apnea. One of those differences is related to the cause of sleep apnea. In kids, the most common cause is enlarged tonsils and adenoids, while in adults, the most common cause of sleep apnea that’s seen is obesity. With the current obesity pandemic and with more and more children being overweight, sleep apnea is being seen in a lot of children with obesity as well.
