Any experience of under-twos with seep apnoea?

[WinkySlink]

I am posting this in Chat as well as Chidren's Health, for more traffic.

My daughter is being assessed for Sleep Apnoea as she struggles to breath and suffers frequent interruptions in her sleep.

The hospital lent me a monitor overnight to measure her heart rate and oxygen saturation levels. The alarm sounded frequently throughout the night when oxygen saturation levels went below 84%.

My question is, has anyone's child and tonsils or adenoids removed under two years old? I see a lot of three+ children who have had the op, but i worry what they will do to help my daughter if they think its necessary when they assess her, as she seems very young for an operation.

Thanks.

Seems to me my friend had one of those out of her boy when he was just over 2yo. Big improvement, all good results. BUT, he had to stay indoors & have no contact with hardly anyone for weeks, to keep infection risk down.

Just how old is your DD? I would have thought with waiting lists she's unlikely to get it done before 2nd birthday.

Hi there, yes, my dd2 had pretty bad sleep apnoea until she had her tonsils and adenoids out aged just 2 - I think she was 26 months at the time. There were others here on MN the same age having the op at the same time, too, I remember.

We were offered the op sooner but a) she had endless winter bugs and b) it was Christmas so we waited until January. And her lovely ENT consultant said he'd operate on a 12 month old if they needed their tonsils out that badly.

dd also had the extra complication of a floppy larynx, so her airway was narrow - and they kept her overnight on HDU as a precaution.

I can't tell you how much difference the op made - dd was starting to refuse solid foods, living on milk and a few bites, looked like a skinny little spider with black circles under her eyes. A few weeks after the op she started to fill out, gain energy, and move in leaps and bounds to the energetic, never-ill-anymore 5 year old she now is.

We were careful about infection for about 2 weeks after op, and she did have a bit of pain which we managed with round the clock meds for the first week/10 days, but it was all more than worth it. And of course, she remembers nothing about it now.

Good luck with whatever comes next for your dd - its a tough decision, when all you want to do is protect them, but if she does need an op rest assured there are lots of us here who can hold you hand and talk you through it

My friend's DS had it at 2.5yo - she videoed her son asleep and took it to the GP who referred her immediately. Apparently his chest was sucking in too much showing he was having respiratory problems. He snored, was like a beanpole and had dark circles under his eyes. He had tonsils and adenoids out and is much improved. he was also diagnosed as dairy intolerant so cutting out diary reduced his general stuffed up-ness and led to better quality sleep too.