My daughter has sleep apnea

My 5- year-old daughter who has been having trouble with sleeping was recently diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I will appreciate more information on how to manage her condition.

Arike (by SMS)

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by episodes of complete or partial upper airway obstruction during sleep, often resulting in gas exchange abnormalities and arousals, which disrupt sleep. Untreated pediatric OSA is associated with behavioral and learning problems; in more severe cases, it can be associated with impaired growth (including failure to thrive) and cardiovascular complications. Treatment decisions are individualized and depend upon findings from a comprehensive evaluation, including nighttime sleep disruption, daytime dysfunction, physical examination findings, and sleep study findings. The decision to initiate treatment and choice of treatment depend upon the child’s age, clinical symptoms (eg, nighttime sleep problems or daytime dysfunction), presence of comorbidities (especially underlying genetic, craniofacial, neuromuscular disorders), risk factors (eg, obesity, crowded oropharynx) Watchful waiting for up to six months is recommended for otherwise healthy children with mild or moderate OSA. Watchful waiting with supportive care is a reasonable alternative to surgery (removal of the adenoids). Supportive care may include conservative medical management (with treatment or referral for treatment of comorbidities such as asthma and allergic rhinitis), education regarding sleep hygiene and healthy sleep behaviors, and the use of nasal saline spray as needed for nasal mucosal dryness or crusting. If watchful waiting is chosen, the child should be reevaluated clinically within six months or reevaluated sooner if symptoms worsen. Watchful waiting for children with severe cases are however contraindicated.

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