Snoring 'can damage a child's ability to learn'

[suchandra]

Snoring 'can damage a child's ability to learn'

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200809090323.htm

Tuesday, September 9, 2008 : 0250 Hrs

 

London (PTI): It's often claimed that children who snore are at a greater risk of getting a heart disease in adulthood. Now, a new study has revealed that the disorder can also damage their ability to learn.

 

Researchers in Britain have found that kids who snore actually damage their ability to concentrate and study as the irregular night-time breathing stunts the mental development of the toddlers.

 

They have based their findings on an analysis of two groups of kids -- one snorers and the other non-snorers. In fact, in their study, the researchers compared the attention spans and brain activity of those who had problems with snoring with those who did not, British newspaper 'The Independent' reported.

 

The sample of 66 three- to seven-year-olds who were waiting for a tonsillectomy because of their snoring -- and had interrupted sleep -- all had shorter attention spans, reduced energy, decreased mental flexibility and poorer language skills than the unaffected children, the study found.

 

"We found that children with sleep disorders had more problems with the tasks, but their ability to do the same tasks improved following a tonsillectomy," lead researcher Dr Catherine Hill of Southampton University said. The study has been presented at the European Sleep Research Society Congress this week.