Gozal links snoring to behavior problems in children
David Gozal, M.D.
Research conducted by a UofL physician may offer hope to parents whose children have behavioral problems.
David Gozal, M.D., who holds the Children's Hospital Foundation Chair in Pediatric Research and is director of Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute, has been researching obstructive apnea and other sleep disorders related to snoring.
He has found that snoring is a major cause of disruptive sleep for children. In many cases, it can lead to behavioral problems such as hyperactivity or can contribute to learning deficiencies.
Gozal's research team elicited 5,156 responses to a detailed questionnaire on frequent and loud snoring in 6-year-old children who attended the first grade in a Kentucky county public school system. Of that group, 378 children had attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Some 577 children (11.2 percent) had snoring scores greater than four points on a zero-to-eight scale, which indicates both frequent (more than three times per week) and loud snoring.
Eighty-seven children with ADHD were frequent and loud snorers. Gozal found no differences in snoring between boys and girls or between white and African-American children.
The study did find an increased risk of a child snoring when one or both parents snore or smoke. It also showed a correlation between snoring and having tonsils.
Gozal's study and findings recently were featured on the television show "48 Hours" and by Reuters news service and several radio networks. He also presented them at the American Thoracic Society's international conference in May 2001.
The "48 Hours" segment drew considerable interest from parents and the medical community. The show highlighted the story of a small boy who was exhibiting severe behavioral problems when he was brought to Gozal's clinic. After undergoing a tonsillectomy, the boy's behavior and schoolwork drastically improved.
More than 40 telephone calls poured in to the "48 Hours" switchboard following the segment. Some came from parents wanting to enroll their children in the study; others came from medical professionals wanting more information.
But Gozal is cautious.
"This is not a miracle cure," he says. "There are a lot of gray areas that remain in the study. The television show might have given the impression that a tonsillectomy could guarantee instant success. We wish that were true, but it's not."
Gozal's research is being undertaken through UofL and the Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute. He says he hopes to expand it by looking further into mood disorders among children and into sleep apnea in premature babies.
