Off Topic - Infants and Sleep Deprivation

[shorne]

You may or may not be aware of this info. Just shows how very important sleep is for children. I realize it is not on the topic of RLS or PLMD, but some on this board may have precious children. This is good info to know IMHO (in my humble opinion) if you are raising small children or baby sitting them.

From the National Sleep Foundation Newsletter 9/1/04

Sleep Deprivation Is A Risk Factor For SIDS

"Short-sleep deprivation among infants is associated with the development of obstructive sleep apnea and significant increases in arousal thresholds," according to researchers at the Free University of Brussels. Therefore, the researchers suggest, keeping infants up past their normal bedtimes might put them at increased risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). They studied 14 healthy infants approximately eight months old and tested them using polysomnography (that's a sleep study) during a morning and afternoon nap. The infants were sleep deprived for two hours before being allowed to fall asleep, half of them before their morning nap, the other half before their afternoon nap.

When compared with normal naps, the sleep-deprived naps were associated with the development of obstructive sleep apnea, and it took an increase in "white noise" to wake them up. However, the authors note that more research is needed to confirm their findings. The study was published in the August issue of Pediatrics.

National Sleep Foundation <nsfalert@websciences.org>

[Sole]

Shorne,

This is very interesting AND timely! My cousin just had her baby, one month pre-mature, last week. He is still in the hospital due to sleep apnea. I asked her if she knew of any correlation between SIDS and sleep apnea, as it seemed to me like they might be related. I asked her to talk to her Dr. and see if there's any such thing as a mini CPAP that she could take home with her, once the baby is released. I will definitely pass on this info to her.

Thank you very much for posting it.

[shorne]

Dear Sole,

I am glad this info might prove useful to you and/or your cousin with a newborn. We are here to help each other by passing along what we find in our experience and searches.

I will remember your cousin and her infant.