According to a new British study, 10% of children under the age of 4 snore
every night. In fact, only 40% of children are free from snoring.
Apart from the hereditary aspect of snoring, the reason put forward to explain these high figures is passive smoking.
The study involved 6,800 children living in central England. The researchers
discovered that between the ages of 0 to 4 years old, children snore far
more than we used to think.
In fact, 6% of infants under one year old snore every night, but this figure
leaps to as much as 13% by the age of 4. And occasional snorers are far more numerous still, with one child in two affected.
The researchers view these data as worrying. Unsurprisingly, the principal risk factor is passive smoking: if one of the parents is a smoker, the risk of the infant snoring is close to 60%. And it doubles if both parents smoke.
It’s a matter of serious concern. Snoring at an early age puts children at
greater risk of respiratory complications including chronic coughing,
wheezing and recurrent ENT infections.
Hence the need for parents to listen out when their baby is asleep. If you have any concerns speak to your paediatrician.
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