Parents Do Not Recognize Consequences of Neglecting Childhood Sleep Problems

Survey results show that eight out of 10 parents are unaware that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity can be consequences of neglecting common childhood sleep disorders such as snoring and pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. More than 80 percent of parents also did not know that a tonsillectomy is the most effective treatment for sleep disordered breathing issues. Studies reveal that newer options can make the procedure less painful – and the recovery quicker – than ever before.

The survey uncovered the top five misconceptions about this leading treatment for children’s obstructive sleep disorders:

• Doctors don’t remove tonsils anymore. Approximately 600,000 tonsillectomies are performed each year for children and adults. According to the AAO-HNS, it is the second most common childhood surgery.

• Tonsils are mainly removed for sore throats and tonsillitis. Seventy-five percent of tonsillectomies are performed to treat obstructive sleep disorders.

• A child will be in pain for up to two weeks after a tonsillectomy. Several studies show that advanced low-temperature technology, called Coblation, reduces pain after surgery compared to older, high-temperature technology such as electrocautery.

• Children can only eat ice cream after a tonsillectomy. Low-temperature technology is allowing children to return to a normal diet three times faster on average when compared to hot technology such as electrocautery.

• Tonsillectomies have been performed the same way for decades. Scalpels and high temperature technology are still used, but according to a study published recently in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the advent of low-temperature technology in the last several years has been shown to improve patient recovery when compared to electrocautery.

The survey also confirmed that more than 90 percent of parents would prefer a quicker, less painful recovery for their child if they must undergo a tonsillectomy…

If you have a child experiencing sleep problems, I strongly advise you to do something about it. Your child’s mental and physical development is crucial at a young age and ignoring the problem only makes it worse in the future. Before you send your child for surgery, check out our Free Sleep - Do’s and Don’ts List

For the full report: Parents Do Not Recognize Consequences of Neglecting Childhood Sleep Problems