What we assess
- Middle-ear fluid and recurrent infection
- Adenoids, snoring and sleep-disordered breathing
- Tonsils and swallowing
- Hearing and speech development
Assessment and care
- Child-friendly examination and parent guidance
- Age-appropriate hearing tests when needed
- Need-based observation, medication or surgery
When should snoring in a child be concerning?
Brief snoring during a cold can be common. Assessment is advisable when loud snoring occurs three or more nights a week, or when sleep includes pauses, gasping, mouth breathing, restless sleep, morning headaches, behavioural or attention changes, or poor growth. These features can suggest enlarged adenoids or tonsils and sleep-disordered breathing rather than harmless snoring.
Possible causes
Enlarged adenoids or tonsils, nasal allergy, obstruction and obesity are among the possible causes.
Diagnosis
Assessment may include sleep history, nose and throat examination, selected endoscopy and sometimes a sleep study.
Treatment options
Cause-based care can include allergy treatment, monitoring, adenotonsillectomy or multidisciplinary sleep management.
When it is urgent
Prolonged pauses, blue lips, severe breathing difficulty or difficulty waking the child needs emergency care.
Frequently asked questions
When should my child see an ENT specialist?+
Seek assessment for recurrent ear infections, hearing or speech concerns, persistent mouth breathing, snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep, recurrent tonsillitis or a foreign body.
Do enlarged adenoids always need surgery?+
No. The decision considers symptom severity, sleep, hearing, growth and response to medical treatment.
Is snoring normal in children?+
Temporary snoring can occur with a cold. Frequent, loud snoring or pauses in breathing needs adenoid, tonsil and sleep assessment.
Learn more
Reputable sources related to the patient-education information on this page.
Your Baby’s Hearing Screening and Next StepsNIH/NIDCD↗