Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentistry

Dental Sleep Medicine and Children

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Help Diagnosing Sleep Apnea in Children

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) isn’t limited strictly to adults. Many children have OSA as well, however it can be a little more difficult to diagnose them. It is important to determine if your child is experiencing a sleep disorder to insure they get enough rest and to allow the proper growth and development.

One of the challenges to diagnosing OSA in a child is that an accurate diagnosis is hard to make without a sleep study. This normally requires that the child spend the night in a sleep center. As any parent knows - sometimes that can be easier said than done. But in the very near future OSA in children may be able to be diagnosed through a urine test!

A researcher at The University of Louisville, Dr. Saeed Jortani, has created a urine test that could be used to screen or diagnose OSA in children. Dr. Jortani was quoted, “Whatever the body does throughout the day, urine is basically a record of what’s going on for the previous several hours, and we thought if the child is under stress or if the child is having difficulty breathing, that has to affect some of the proteins in their body.”
He also shared that a stress related protein is seen in a high level in a child’s urine if they are indeed suffering with OSA. This urine test could minimize unnecessary over night sleep studies with a more accurate manner to screen patients.

OSA is a serious disease that can have potentially life altering consequences. If you suspect that your child, you or a family member may be experiencing a sleep disorder, please give us a call at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment to help determine if your concerns are valid. Let us help you get a healthier nights sleep.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.