Snoring slows learning ability of babies

CHILDREN as young as one are getting their tonsils removed to help them stop snoring, as research suggests it can slow their learning.

CHILDREN as young as one are getting their tonsils removed to help them stop snoring, as research suggests the night-time behaviour can slow their learning.

The UniSA Centre for Sleep Research tested the motor and cognitive development skills of 450 Adelaide babies three times in their first year of life and found those who were frequent snorers did not perform as well at the ages of six months and one year.

Dr Mark Kohler, a researcher at the centre, said previous studies on snoring tended to focus on its potential impact on older children.

"The results are worrying because infancy is such a critical period of brain development," he said.

He said snoring increased stress chemicals in the body and reduced the quality sleep, which in turn made it difficult to learn and remember things.

"It's frequent snoring that can cause problems, and this is usually classed as three or more nights a week," he said.

Dr Kohler said the removal of tonsils and adenoids, which when gone can make a larger airway and help babies breathe, was increasingly happening at a younger age.

"We're now treating children as young as one," he said.