Toddler breathing through mouth

[AnxiousMum875]

Posted here also for traffic

Hi all

Spoken with the GP but not really getting anywhere on this one.

My 2.5 year old breathes through her mouth. When awake, when asleep, all the time. You can feel she is also breathing through her nose too, but her mouth is open and there is definitely breath coming out.

Now I've been advised by some people that this is totally abnormal and after a check of Dr Google, it seems they are right.

We visited the GP today and he has been very dismissive that this will pass with age. I'm more than happy for him to be dismissive if it's genuinely not a problem, but other avenues seem to suggest it is an issue.

She snores during naps and night-time. She usually had a runny nose.

Has anyone got any experience of this? I'm trying to play it down, but I am very worried. Any advice or help would be so greatly appreciated. Please.

She usually had a runny nose.

So her nose is blocked as she has a cold - or more likely one cold after another - so she snores and mouth breathes as she can't breath through it properly.

Can she hear properly without you speaking loud? Can she hear the TV, radio, music or whatever at a normal volume?

Does she have a cold a lot?

It’s worth having a listen to her at night and seeing if there are signs of sleep apnoea. Usual sign is that the snoring builds up and up and then there is a pause in the breathing. Then they wriggle/turn over and it all starts again. The other sign is tiredness well beyond what you’d expect for her age.

I will see if I can find a link to an audio clip of apnoea breathing pattern - it is exactly how my DD sounded and why we got her tonsils and adenoids removed.

My toddler did this. He had enlarged tonsils and aneroids. He had to have an operation to reduce/remove. His were grade 4. It’s not good to mouth breath at their age as dr google tells you for various reasons. I would ask/insist that your GP refers to ENT

link the audio re sleep apnoea is here

If you think your DD sounds like this then see an ENT

Adenoids. Is she also prone to ear infections? They often go hand in hand.
I would log it over a period of a few weeks so it's not dismissed as 'has a cold' (assuming it's not a short term issue)

I always breathe through my mouth. I feel like I can't get enough air through my nose. Never thought I was odd... until now

Agree with the poster suggesting a hearing test, to check for glue ear (which often goes hand in hand with adenoids).

@minipie

link the audio re sleep apnoea is here

If you think your DD sounds like this then see an ENT

Thank you for this minipie. This recording could have been of her! Does anyone have any advice on how to get to an ENT whilst GP is saying she'll grow out of it? Thank you for everyone's comments so far.

RedWingBoots - she can hear at normal levels. Or no indication she can't anyway.

FloralsForSpring - she has a runny nose a lot but not colds I don't think. So she isn't coughing a lot is what I mean.

Marshatessa - may I ask how old your child was and how long this went on for? I'm so lost as I feel no one is taking me seriously.

OMG we had this with DS2. He had zero appetite, poor sleep and constant ear infections. It was only when the doctor saw him and he saw he wasn't breathing through his nose that he was diagnosed with a massive nasal infection. He was on long term antibiotics for a long time. She needs a referral to ear, nose and throat. He still had ear infections for many years after this.

@Calmdown14

Adenoids. Is she also prone to ear infections? They often go hand in hand. I would log it over a period of a few weeks so it's not dismissed as 'has a cold' (assuming it's not a short term issue)

I directly asked about Adenoids and was told they don't do the op anymore as it's something 'they just grow out of'! This seemed ridiculous to me but obviously I would prefer my child to not have to have an operation! But if it is the adenoids and this mouth breathing is potentially going to cause all these issues stated online, then of course I want it taken seriously. I feel myself it is her adenoids from the research I've done.

I’ve also read bad things about mouth breathing and would also be concerned in your situation. Something that might help, while you explore other options is an air filter. If any allergies are affecting her production of mucous, this might help. You could try consulting a sleep specialist about what happens at night.

My eldest was like this. He is still a bit of a snotty snorer at 6 but better than he was.
He has big tonsils and adenoids, very dribbly! .
He had glue ear until he (luckily) grew out of it at around 4.5. This affected his speech development hugely, pronunciation was way off as everything was muffled to him.
I was dismissed by the HV at his 2 year check that he was a Walker not a talker and ‘just a boy’. I persevered and got a hearing test which showed significant impairment. We also saw ENT privately when he was two, who advised that he could be put in he list for grommets and t&a removal when he was 3. He had regular hearing tests and the glue ear resolved itself. Off the point a bit I know but they often go hand in hand!

My daughter was like this. Permanent cold, snores, ended up developing sleep apnea. She had her tonsils and adenoids out when she was 3 and she's been like a different child ever since.

@I8toys

OMG we had this with DS2. He had zero appetite, poor sleep and constant ear infections. It was only when the doctor saw him and he saw he wasn't breathing through his nose that he was diagnosed with a massive nasal infection. He was on long term antibiotics for a long time. She needs a referral to ear, nose and throat. He still had ear infections for many years after this.

Her appetite is bad admittedly too! May I ask how old your son was when this happened? And how long did you wait for the ENT referral?

Re GP saying she'll grow out of it. I took mine to the GP regularly about it, every time she had respiratory issues, every time she had a bad night of sleep apnea etc. She was missing so much nursery. GP said to wait until she was 7 as they start to shrink back at that age...that would have been 4.5 more years of no sleep, panicking about her not breathing in her sleep, constant illness.

I had to really push for it and even in the hospital they said they couldn't do the operation if she had inflamed tonsils...her tonsils had never not been inflamed! It was 100% worth seeming like a stroppy mum.

Get a referral to an ENT consultant through gp or book private, gp should give a referral whether they agree with it or not, it's not their decision. Needs to be checked for adenoid and tonsil swelling/infection which cause mouth breathing, snoring and sleep apnea. Had all of this with my ds including more issues with ears and sinuses, gp also dismissive so I just went to ent consultant and never looked back.

@Hamster1111

I always breathe through my mouth. I feel like I can't get enough air through my nose. Never thought I was odd... until now

I breathe through my mouth too, always have. I was about 30 before I realised it wasn't normal! I'm slightly worried to google why it's a bad thing!

They can grow out of it as your tonsils and adenoids shrink as you grow but not for a good 5 years or so yet!

One of my DC had their tonsils and adenoids removed age 2 due to sleep apnoea. But I really had to persuade the GP as he didn’t want to refer. As soon as the ENT consultant saw him he listed him for the operation.

We do still take them out, the GP is incorrect about that, but obviously only if they need it. I videoed my DC sleeping to prove my point.

Trouble is it affects them at school as they’re tired because they don’t sleep well and they don’t eat properly. So although yes they can grow out of it children have many years of disturbed, restless sleep which affects them hugely in the day.

@plixy and @Hamster1111 I’m the same. To the point where I can hear myself breathing sometimes when I record videos on my phone.
My 4 year old often mouth breathes, I’ve never thought anything of it. Should I be worried?!

I was like this as a child , they used to call me puffing billy .. Never bothered me but I had quite a few ops and can breathe through my nose now .
Don't worry i doubt it will be anything sinister . Just ask for a referral to ENT!

Can I just say thank you to each and every one of you who has commented so far. It's nice to have people understand me and care about what I'm saying. I feel somewhat let down by our GP but I also appreciate that they may just think I'm an irrational mother. She's done this for at least a year and I've never thought twice about it until recently. I feel like I've let her down.