Why you should worry about your child snoring

HEALTH

After giving birth to her children, Stella Namusobya vowed to pay maximum attention to her child and every new thing that she noticed; she consulted friends, relatives about it before she could visit medical doctors.

However, when her baby made nine months, it started snoring while sleeping something that she thought was normal.

"I thought since adults snore, it's a normal thing so I ignored it. Besides that a friend told me that since my baby was gaining weight, it was normal for her to snore, "says Namusobya.

''It was not an everyday thing, so I never bothered. However, out of curiosity  I consulted a medical person who told me that snoring was not normal and that I had to seek medical attention and check with my child's pediatrician,"she adds.

According to experts, most mothers notice snoring in their children but many ignore thinking it is normal.

Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, a senior paediatrician at Mulago Hospital, says snoring is not normal and if one  notices that their child is snoring, the parent should seek the specialised medical attention of a paediatrician.

She said snoring in children is caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids caused by an inflammatory response to infections or allergies. When this happens it's a strong indication of potential obstructive sleep apnea.

"When the child glands are swollen, they aid in blocking the airways making it hard for your child to breath while sleeping. This happens especially when the child's sleeping position is not right," she says.

Dr. Perez Katamba of Shine International Hospital also agrees. He notes that most parents ignore this fact but snoring communicates a lot about the child's sleeping position.

He notes that when you notice your child snoring while sleeping, it's important that you change her sleeping position  to the left side.

This sleeping position allows the tongue to clear the airway so that the baby sleeps peacefully without snoring.

He also adds that children have tiny nostrils and at times as they grow, their nostrils accumulate some fat around the inner tissues and if their sleeping position is not right, snoring is bound to occur.

He adds that much as children's nostrils enlarge as they grow, when snoring persists, parents should seek advice from a paediatrician much as nationally statistics showing how serious the  problem is are not readily available, globally experts say snoring should not be taken for granted.

According to online sources, snoring  is a sleeping disorder that occurs when your child's breathing is interrupted during sleep. Children with sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep - sometimes up to hundreds of times - meaning that the brain and body are not getting enough oxygen.