Treating Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Require A Combination Of Two Methods

Treating pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with either orthodontic expansion or adenotonsillectomy improves symptoms, but most young children need both treatments to have complete resolution of OSA symptoms, according to a study in the July 1 issue of the journal Sleep. All 32 children in the study showed improvements after being treated with either orthodontic expansion or adenotonsillectomy, but 28 of the participants needed both treatments for the symptoms of OSA to be eliminated. Two children had no more symptoms after being treated only with orthodontic expansion, and two other children continued to have symptoms after both treatments. “Usually physicians treat OSA by taking tonsils and adenoids out,” said principal investigator Dr. Christian Guilleminault, a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine... [read full story]