(Best Syndication News) - A six-year study of over 11,000 children found that young children who have obstructed breathing while sleeping increased their risk of having behavior problems. The children were reported to have suffered more hyperactivity, aggressiveness, emotional symptoms, and trouble getting along with peers.

Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University published their findings in today’s online edition of the journal Pediatrics.

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) includes symptoms of snoring, breathing through the mouth, and sleep apnea. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Health and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) estimate that 1 in 10 children snore on a regular basis. Around 2 to 4 percent of children have sleep apnea. Children that have SDB often have enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

Study co-author, Ronald D. Chervin, M.D., M.S., and Professor of Sleep Medicine and of Neurology at the University of Michigan, said previous studies could not conclude definitely that SDB was associated with behavior problems in children. This study shows the relationship between the sleep disturbances and the child’s behavior.

By: Marsha Quinn
Health Reporter