Children's Sleep Disorders Can Go Undiagnosed

[Tracy]

http://www.thedailyeaston.com/wellness/childrens-sleep-disorders-can-go-undiagnosed

Here's the full article by Julie Curtis 09/08/11

NORWALK, Conn. - The school year has just begun, but it's time for parents to do a little homework. Lewis J. Kass, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist and director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center at Norwalk Hospital, says that parents can get to work by taking note of their children's sleep patterns.

Too often, he says, parents learn from a teacher that their child is unfocused, inattentive and/or hyperactive. "Research began trickling in the late 1990s that demonstrated a clear link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and neurocognitive deficits," says Dr. Kass. In fact, he says, research shows that 15 to 65 percent of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have underlying sleep disorders.

According to Dr. Kass, the only Connecticut physician triple board certified in pediatrics, pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine, sleep disorders can affect children of all ages, although symptoms vary widely depending on their ages. Toddlers, for example, might manifest sleeping issues with frequent tantrums and eliminating naps prematurely, and they can also become irritable during the day. Kindergarten-aged children might show symptoms in the classroom in the form of sleepiness, irritability or hyperactivity, and they could begin having behavioral issues, such as acting out, says Dr. Kass. As children approach adolescence, sleep deprivation can present itself, he says, with poor school grades, hyperactivity and mood swings.

If they're at the point of considering medication for their children, Dr. Kass asks parents, "Why not first spend one night in a sleep lab to rule out a treatable sleep disorder?" Doing so begins with a comprehensive history and physical exam. If he recommends a sleep study for a child, Dr. Kass will tailor the overnight in the hospital's sleep center – which is more hotel than hospital – with his/her parent. The study, says Dr. Kass, is painless and non-invasive.

A week after, Dr. Kass meets with the parents to discuss findings and next steps. Among the most common causes of sleep problems in children, he says, are obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, restless legs syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux or narcolepsy. But, he says, "The great news is that anything identified can be treated."
Sleep apnea can be treated by removal of the tonsils and adenoids or with mild air pressure to keep airways opened by using CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), he says. And most other sleep disorder diagnoses are treated with medicine or cognitive behavioral therapy.

Dr. Kass recommends a sleep evaluation for children who have restless, sweaty sleep, nighttime awakenings, daytime sleepiness or irritability, snoring or leg kicks. Additionally, he says, for children "if a diagnosis of ADHD has been considered along with persistent bedwetting, poor school grades, difficult to control asthma, insulin resistance, obesity or chronic headaches."

Recognizing your child's sleep patterns might take a little homework, but doing so could help you all rest a little bit easier.

[jjjaspar]

This is so frustrating because usually the person anybody with "mental symptoms" get sent to is a psychiatrist or psychiatric hospital. THEY need to act like "REAL" medical doctors (after all, psychiatrists are MDs). THEY need to make sure ALL medical causes get ruled out before applying ANY label from the DSM.

But, they assume that isn't their job - that's the job of the non-psychiatric medical professionals. But often, that is not who the kids (or adults) are taken to.

We wouldn't still be needing articles like this if the doctors were already trained to think this way - CHECK for sleep problems. I read that this is automatically done on children in many other countries like Britain and Denmark. They also think of chemical/food sensitivities.

Do we need to wait another decade while the U.S. drags it's feet? Why? Please don't tell me it is just because pharmaceutical companies make too much money selling the psych meds for the ADHD, Depressed, Bipolar, and psychotic children in the U.S. --- I would think the medical professionals would have caught on by now and changed the way they practice.

[jjjaspar]

More: Sleep Issues Are Being Misdiagnosed as ADHD and other Mental Illnesses