(NORTHBROOK, IL, August 12, 2003) Preschool-age children who regularly snore have a higher prevalence of asthma and nighttime cough than children who do not snore, says a study published in the August issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). The study found that preschool children who snored were twice as likely as nonsnorers to have either asthma or nighttime cough, and that children who snored were more likely than nonsnorers to have coexisting asthma and nighttime cough.

"Physicians often use nighttime cough as a guide in diagnosing asthma in young children, and proceed to treat the asthma hoping to eliminate the cough," said lead author Lucy R. Lu, MB, MPH, Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Australia. "Our study shows nighttime cough may be caused by snoring, rather than asthma. In these cases, treating the snoring would be more effective in reducing cough."

Researchers from the University of Sydney and The Children's Hospital at Westmead, investigated the prevalence of snoring and the association between snoring, asthma, nighttime cough, and nasal obstruction (hay fever) in preschool children. Using a parent-administered questionnaire, researchers gathered information from 974 children (516 boys and 458 girls) ages 2 through 5. In the children studied, 42.2 percent of children who snored also had asthma, compared to 26.4 percent of children who did not snore. In addition, 61.8 percent of children who snored reported nighttime cough, as compared to 30.5 percent of children who did not snore. A cross-analysis indicated 86.1 percent of children with asthma who snored also experienced nighttime cough, as compared to 52.6 percent of children with asthma who did not snore, 44.1 percent of children without asthma who snored, and 22.6 percent of children reporting no asthma or snoring. Although nasal obstruction of any kind is known to cause snoring, the prevalence of asth
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Contact: Jennifer Stawarz
jstawarz@chestnet.org
847-498-8306
American College of Chest Physicians
11-Aug-2003

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