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Snoring, apnoea and ENT symptoms in the paediatric community
G O Owen1, R J Canter, A Robinson
1Department of Otolaryngology, Royal United Hospital, University of Bath, UK.
Insights
Snoring is common in children, affecting 27% of those under 10. While often linked to colds, most snoring children don't need further ear, nose, and throat (ENT) investigation unless other symptoms are present.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Sleep Medicine
- General Practice Research
Background:
- Snoring is a frequent complaint in pediatric populations.
- Understanding the prevalence and associated symptoms of childhood snoring is crucial for appropriate clinical management.
- Previous research has explored snoring in children, but further data on ENT symptom associations is warranted.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of snoring in children up to 10 years of age.
- To assess the extent of associated ear, nose, and throat (ENT) symptoms in snoring children.
- To evaluate the necessity of ENT referral for children presenting with snoring.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire-based study was conducted.
- Parents of 245 randomly selected children (up to 10 years) from a UK General Practice list participated.
- Data collected focused on snoring habits and associated ENT symptoms.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of snoring was 27% in the study population.
- Snoring prevalence increased to 47% during upper respiratory infections.
- Significant associations (P < 0.001) were found between snoring and poor hearing, restless sleep, and colds. Less significant associations (P < 0.01) were noted with parental smoking, eczema, sleep talking, nocturnal movement, sore throats, runny nose, and mouth breathing.
Conclusions:
- Snoring is a common symptom in children under 10 years old.
- In the absence of other ENT disease indicators, routine referral for snoring children is not typically required.
- This study highlights the need for careful assessment of associated symptoms rather than solely focusing on snoring itself.
Abstract:
This study was designed to determine the prevalence of snoring and assess the extent of associated ENT symptoms in children up to 10 years of age. A questionnaire was presented to the parents of 245 children chosen at random from the General Practice list of the town of Frome, Somerset, UK. The prevalence of snoring was found to be 27%. This increased to 47% in the presence of an upper respiratory infection. Snoring was found to be significantly (P < 0.001) associated with a history of poor hearing, restless sleep, and having a cold. Less significant (P < 0.01) associations occurred with parental smoking, eczema, sleep talking, moving around the bed at night, sore throats, having a runny nose and mouth breathing. Snoring is a common symptom in children up to 10 years of age. Without evidence of other ENT disease the snoring child does not require referral to an ENT department for further investigation.