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Lynne Lamberg

JAMA. 2007;297:2681-2683.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Ten years ago, many of the preschool and elementary school-aged children referred to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's pediatric sleep and breathing disorders center, in Baltimore, already had pulmonary hypertension and cardiac problems when they arrived.

Today, however, thanks in part to efforts by the National Institutes of Health, sleep specialists, and others to boost recognition of sleep disorders in individuals of all ages, the center now generally sees children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) before such severe problems arise, said Ann Halbower, MD, medical director of the school's pediatric sleep disorders program.

Early intervention may help reverse behavioral and learning difficulties in children that are brought on by sleep-disordered breathing. (Photo credit: AP/Wide World Photos)

But even earlier intervention is needed, Halbower said. "Children with SDB commonly struggle with behavioral and learning difficulties for months, even years, before receiving proper care," she said.

EARLY SYMPTOMS AND EFFECTS

Symptoms of SDB . . . [Full Text of this Article]