Allergies tied to habitual snoring in youngsters

Allergies, African-American race, and a parental history of snoring are all associated with an increased risk of habitual snoring in 1-year-old children, new research shows.

Fifteen percent of children in the current study were habitual snorers, defined as snoring at least three times per week, according to the report in the medical journal Chest.

“Given the extent of this problem in very young children and the negative impact of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing on the cognitive functioning of school-age children, we strongly recommend that these high-risk groups be targeted for early identification and treatment,” Dr. Maninder Kalra, from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, and colleagues emphasize.

The findings come from an analysis of data for 681 children who participated in the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS), a prospective evaluation involving infants of allergic parents. Parental questionnaires were used to assess snoring frequency in the subjects.

The study group was 80 percent white, 17 percent African-American, and 3 percent biracial or Asian, the report indicates. The average age of the subjects was 13.7 months.

As noted, the prevalence of habitual snoring was 15 percent. African-American race was the strongest correlate for snoring, raising the risk by 3.3-fold. Positive allergic status and parental history of snoring increased the risk of habitual snoring by 2.0- and 2.9-fold, respectively.

By contrast, the investigators found no association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and habitual snoring.

“Identification of predisposing risk factors for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing will facilitate better utilization of resources as well as early detection and treatment,” the authors comment.

SOURCE: Chest, April 2006.

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