Baby Snoring Linked to Child Behavior

Babies and toddlers who snore or have other breathing problems when they sleep may develop more behavior problems, a study finds. The research was based on surveys filled out by parents of more than 11,000 children. The first survey was done when the children were 6 months old. Parents were asked whether their children snored, breathed through the mouth or had pauses during breathing (apnea) while asleep. The surveys were repeated 5 times, ending at age 69 months. The parents also were asked about children’s behavior at ages 4 and 7. Behavior problems were twice as common at age 7 in children who had the worst sleep-disordered breathing. Hyperactivity was the most common problem. Others included attention issues, depression, aggression and conflicts with other children. The study does not show that breathing issues during sleep actually caused the behavior problems.