Pediatrics

Ever been driving and need to turn the radio off to make sure you don’t miss your turn? How about standing still with your eyes closed, do you feel yourself swaying around, feeling your body correct itself from the direction it is going to prevent falling?

These are just a few ideas of how our bodies process various sensory input. Everyone regulates sensory differently; in children, it is more difficult. As children grow, play is their greatest learning experience, teaching them where their body is in space and what their nervous system craves. Those with extreme difficulty have what is called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). SPD is a condition that involves difficulties in recognizing, regulating, and reacting to sensory input to the extent of affecting functional performance with all daily tasks.

Did you know that sleep apnea is not just something adults struggle with? Children can have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA is a sleep related breathing disorder. This disorder can cause a partial reduction in airflow in mild cases, or a complete cessation of airflow in more severe cases. Most parents or children can recognize this as snoring, or even witnessed apneas. Following this reduction of airflow is an oxygen desaturation, this will cause the brain to signal to the body to wake up from sleep to restore breathing back to normal. This can happen hundreds of times throughout the sleep cycle, causing excessive daytime sleepiness.