Doctors always emphasize the importance of sleep for newborn babies, but some babies may have greater challenges to face when it comes to getting a solid night of sleep.
A team of researchers from the University of Michigan is studying babies that are more likely to have sleeping problems, especially those who have chronic illnesses. The latest study conducted by the group is focused on infants with spina bifida, the most common birth defect that causes permanent disability.
Spina bifida is the incomplete closure of the backbone and membranes surrounding the spinal cord. There are three main types of spina bifida, but the infants in the study all had the most severe form, known as myelomeningocele. In this variant, patients can have trouble walking, difficulty with bladder control, hydrocephalus, a tethered spinal chord, and latex allergy. To learn more about this condition, click here.
In the study, all of the babies with the condition were diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing. This includes complications such as sleep apnea, which is all it takes for children to lose the healthy sleep that is essential for their development, learning ability, and overall behavior. One goal of the study was to see how early the team could discover sleeping problems. For the subjects in question, sleep-disordered breathing appeared in the first few days of life.
Researchers hope that by resolving these sleep problems earlier, outcomes for patients with myelomeningocele will improve. Since developmental issues are expected in those with the condition, every effort to normalize growth and sleep behavior is essential. People with spina bifida are more likely to develop sleep problems due to an abnormality of the brain stem which can lead to problems with breathing. Many babies with the condition are also born prematurely, which can increase the risk for sleep-disordered breathing.
The reality is that there are serious neurodevelopmental problems that can occur when children miss out on getting a healthy, normal amount of uninterrupted sleep. The earlier that sleep related challenges can be identified, the earlier they can be treated, which can have a huge impact on outcomes. Read more in Health News and Information.
