Child Growth & Development

Compromized Airway

Have you observed a child who looks like this when they are sleeping?

Children with a compromised airway may also show the following signs:

restless sleep
bed wetting
dark circles under eyes
difficulty in school
mouth breathing
chronic allergies
snoring
daytime drowsiness
swollen adnoids
crowded/crooked teeth
ADD/ADHD
swollen tonsils
nightmares
definance/Agression

Resarch suggests compromised airways could be due to underdeveloped upper and lower jaws or narrow dental arches. When all primary(baby) teeth have come in, children should have room for all 20 teeth and also display spacing in between.

Possible contributuers of children developing narrow arches are:

soft food diet
weak tongue
processed foods
weak orofacial muscles
low tongue position
tongue thrust
limited or no breastfeeding

Muscle function (or how you use your muscles) guides the growth of the bone. In particular, growth on the upper jaw, which leads to growth of the lower jaw and airway.