Snoring in children: is it pathological?

Some children who snore heavily, have been shown to have periods of apnoea which, if frequent, are known as the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA). Twenty patients with OSA, who presented to the Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, over a three-year period, were reviewed. The findings indicated that OSA is more common than is generally supposed and that it can present with a wide range of symptoms. It is important that an early diagnosis of this syndrome is made, to prevent major complications and to allow appropriate therapy.