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:Random thoughts from a Renegade Mom:
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Thursday, April 20, 2006Hyperactivity, Sleepiness, And ADHD Often Improved After TonsillectomyAbout half of the children in the study who were found to have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder before tonsil surgery no longer met criteria for this diagnosis one year later. Other cognitive and behavioral issues also improved.On the whole, the 78 children who had their tonsils out were much more likely than a comparison group of 27 children to have had behavior and sleep problems at the start of the study. But by the end of the study, tests showed little difference between the two groups. The researchers caution that their results do not yet prove cause and effect, and that tonsillectomy is not usually a "cure" for ADHD. But, they say, the growing body of evidence on this issue suggests that a significant number of children with inattention, hyperactivity, or sleepiness during the day - and also sleep-breathing problems at night - may benefit during both the night and day by tonsillectomy, an operation that was once performed on more than a million children a year but has become much less common in recent decades. Now I personally find this to be common sense. Too many times people will push off behavior issues as "something wrong" with the child when it really is over scheduled, lacking in sleep and out right frazzled at a young age. One of the most telling findings was that HALF the children (11 out of 22) "diagnosed" with ADHD did not have the condition one year after their tonsillectomy. But even more important was a few children developed ADHD a year after the surgery, supporting previous evidence that sleep-disordered breathing causes damage that may not be seen until much later. The bottom line for parents, Chervin and his colleagues say, is that any child who snores regularly, or has other signs of breathing problems during sleep, may benefit from an evaluation for sleep problems and perhaps from tonsillectomy - especially if the child is also having behavior problems at home or school. "If you have a child who has difficulties with attention deficit, hyperactivity, or daytime sleepiness, there may be something that can be done about it if the child proves to have a sleep disorder," Chervin says. "An undiagnosed sleep disorder is not the solution for all children with ADHD. But it could be something worth looking into for a substantial minority, especially those children with symptoms that suggest a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea." " Gina froze in time on 12:38 PM [ | ]
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The chaotic life of a (exausted) mother of
2 little mosters, I mean children. These are my thoughts on life and the world around me, so I can talk about things other than diapers! Current news, health and women's issues.
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