When my son showed up at my door one morning with tears in his eyes, I knew something was dreadfully wrong. His young son had been rushed to the hospital because he stopped breathing. The local hospital was making arrangements to transfer the child to another facility that specialized in caring for infants and children. My son was extremely upset, as any parent understandably would be. The hospital ran a series of tests on the child, finally telling his parents that he was suffering from sleep apnea.

After a brief stay in the hospital my son was permitted to bring the child home. But things would be very different at least for a while. The child was to wear a halter type monitor until he turned one year old or at least until a sufficient amount of time had passed without further evidence of sleep apnea. The parents were provided with all of the equipment necessary to be alerted should their child stop breathing. The next several months were filled with frequent visits to the doctor and sleepless nights watching over a child wired to a small device.

Sleep apnea can be a terrifying experience for parents. In sleep apnea the child stops breathing during sleep. While it is thought that there may be a connection between sleep apnea and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), none has been proven as of yet. There may be some indication that sleep apnea is inherited although that remains inconclusive as well. There is no known cause of sleep apnea though it may well have to do with enlarged tonsils and adenoids.

The term apnea simply means an interruption in breathing. During sleep apnea the baby completely stops breathing. In most cases, the child will resume breathing on its own again. This is a frightening and dangerous situation. Parents always have the fear that the child's breathing may not resume normally. Sleep apnea seems to be more common in children from birth to the age of three years, although it can occur in children older than three and the condition does affect some adults as well. Premature infants may be more susceptible to sleep apnea since their respiratory systems are not mature.

Infants that experience this condition shortly after birth may be kept in the hospital a little longer than usual to be monitored by an alarm system. Although sleep apnea usually disappears after a few weeks, it may last longer. If the child continues to experience repeated episodes, he or she may be sent home with a monitor to be worn so as to alert the parents to future episodes of sleep apnea. The child's progress will be monitored and the physician will decide when it's safe to discontinue use of the monitoring apparatus.

I am happy to say that by the time my grandson was a year old, he had no further episodes of sleep apnea and is perfectly healthy. Sleep apnea may not occur as frequently or last as long as it did in my grandson's case. There is really no way to determine if a child will be prone to bouts of apnea. In the event that sleep apnea may be inherited it would be prudent to inform the physician if other children of family members have been affected by the condition. If you have any questions or concerns regarding sleep apnea don't hesitate to consult your physician. Being informed is being safe.

Author: Darlene Zagata