NORWALK, CT - As the school year begins, it is very important that parents do their homework. According to Lewis J. Kass, MD, currently the only practicing pediatric pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist in Connecticut, parents need to take note of their children’s sleep patterns. Affiliated with the Norwalk Hospital Sleep Center, Dr. Kass is triple board certified in pediatrics, pulmonary medicine and sleep medicine, and receives referrals for his expertise in pediatric sleep issues from physicians and parents throughout Connecticut and Westchester County.
All too often, he says, parents learn from the teacher that their child is unfocused, inattentive and/or hyperactive. The child may then be diagnosed with having ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), but in fact, these symptoms could be from disturbed nighttime sleep,” he said. “I tell parents that if you are at the point of considering a stimulant medication for your child for the treatment of ADHD, why not spend one night in a sleep lab to rule out a treatable sleep disorder.
In fact, according to Dr. Kass, research shows that 15 to 65 percent of children with ADHD have underlying sleep disorders.
Sleep disorders can affect children of all ages, from toddlers to adolescents. Symptoms of sleep problems in toddlers may include frequent tantrums, prematurely eliminating napping and/or being irritable during the day. Children in pre-k and kindergarten years may show symptoms in the classroom of irritability, sleepiness, hyperactivity or they may act out, said Dr. Kass. As children approach the adolescent years, poor school grades, hyperactivity and mood swings may be symptoms of sleep deprivation.
At the Norwalk Hospital Sleep Center, children with sleep problems are evaluated by Dr. Kass, who does a comprehensive history and physical exam. If he recommends a sleep study, Dr. Kass will tailor the sleep study for the individual child with the most suitable technician for that child. Then the child would stay overnight with his/her parent in a comfortable, pediatric-friendly room. The study is painless and non-invasive and the number of electrode sensors applied (mostly to the head and neck) to the child depends on the results of the history and physical examination and the suspected diagnosis.
One week later, there would be a follow-up appointment with Dr. Kass to discuss the findings as well as next steps. The most common causes of sleep problems in children, according to the sleep expert, are obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, restless legs syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux or narcolepsy. The great news is that anything identified can be treated, he added.
Sleep apnea is treated either by removal of the tonsils and adenoids or with mild air pressure to keep airways opened by using CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) for which we have specially trained respiratory therapists and technicians to ensure that this is a worry-free process, he said. Most of the other sleep disorder diagnoses are treated with medicine or cognitive behavioral therapy.
In addition to ADHD and asthma, childhood obesity can be linked with sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. We now know that sleep apnea results in a secretion of a hormone from our fat cells that can make us resistant to losing weight. Successful treatment of sleep apnea helps people who are dieting and exercising to effectively lose weight, Dr. Kass explained.
Dr. Kass received his M.D. degree from the State University of NY Downstate School of Medicine. He completed his residency training at the Children's Medical Center of Brooklyn and was awarded a Fellowship in Pediatric Respiratory Medicine from Yale University School of Medicine.
Dr. Kass served as Director of the Yale Pediatric Sleep Laboratory and The Children’s Sleep Center at Montefiore Hospital, prior to joining Norwalk Hospital as director of pediatric sleep disorders in 2005. Since then, he has been evaluating and managing pediatric sleep disorders at Norwalk Hospital for people from Fairfield County and well beyond. He is also involved in the training of physicians who are in the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program at Norwalk Hospital.
Internationally recognized in his field, Dr. Kass is quoted in Time Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, The Daily News, Woman's World, American Baby, E-Pregnancy Magazine, Parents and Parenting Magazines and has also been featured in Keeping Kids Healthy, a PBS TV documentary. He has appeared three times on the Norwalk Hospital’s Health Talk show which broadcasts on Cablevision Local Programming, Channel 84. He will be featured again on Health Talk discussing pediatric sleep problems and school performance the week of September 25th, each evening at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.
For more information about pediatric sleep disorders, please call the Norwalk Hospital Sleep Disorders Center at 203-855-3632.
