A restless child who continually tosses and turns at night or who acts out on a regular basis (perhaps because of exhaustion from waking up at night) should be evaluated. It's very possible the child has obstructive sleep apnea, an increasingly common problem in children ages 3 - 12. Loud snoring, attention problems and daytime fatigue could all be signs of a sleeping disorder in your child. The diagnosis can be made by medical history, physician examination and sleep study, according to Larry Feiner, MD.

When a child is overweight or suffers from allergies, a doctor will address these concerns even before looking into any other treatments. If the child's sleep apnea does not improve, a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy should be considered. Dr. Feiner has performed the surgery for many years at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center and highly recommends it as a treatment.

"The results are almost always successful for the cure of obstructive sleep apnea," Dr. Feiner declares.

The surgery takes approximately 60 minutes. It is performed under general anesthesia. The procedure typically takes place in an outpatient surgical unit but if the child has a significant amount of obstructive sleep apnea, he or she may need to remain in the hospital overnight.

The child will be sent home with two medications, an antibiotic and a pain medicine. The caregiver should watch for signs of postoperative bleeding, dehydration and malnutrition. As for eating, the child should start off with soft foods, avoiding pretzels, popcorn, tortilla chips, etc. at first. Normal play activity is encouraged but strenuous activity should be avoided for the first 10-to-14 days following the surgery.

Quality-of-life studies do confirm the significant benefit gained after a child undergoes the tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.

Visit the PMMC website, www.pottstownmemorial.com, and go to the Discovery Hospital link for more information on tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies.