Children who snore may have lower IQs

Children who snore may be suffering from a medical condition which could affect their IQ scores, say doctors.

Medical researchers claim kids who snore during sleep are prone to be moody, lack concentration, or suffer from higher blood pressure.

They say these youngsters could be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea – a condition which causes pauses in breathing while asleep which results in less oxygen travelling to the lungs. This may lead children to wake up a number of time throughout the night.

"No-one is going to die from having obstructive sleep apnea but more importantly they end up having broken sleep so through the night the child's not getting the good quality sleep they need for learning and feeling refreshed in the morning," paediatric sleep physician Dr Scoot Burgers said.

She told Australia's 9 News.com: "In the long-term, there could be impacts on their learning and general behaviour. There is some suggestion that some children might even have 10 points lower IQ scores if it's persistent and long-term.

"The most common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are snoring particular for a child who's mouth-breathing or struggling with their breathing in their sleep."

Earlier this year, researchers at Monash University in Melbourne revealed a study of more than 260 children, which found that the blood pressure in child snorers was 10% higher than children who did not snore.

They also found the MRI scans of kids who snored showed significant changes to their brains, which can lead to reduced mental abilities and poor behaviour.

The university's April report estimated that around one million Australian kids snored when they slept.

Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include medication, taking out tonsils and adenoids, or using a machine which provides oxygen.

"What we want to know now is if you treat these children, whether the deficits we see in the brain can be repaired," Professor Rosemary Horne told Ten Eyewitness News.