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Home › Articles › Breast is Best › Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

How Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

By Gwen Morrison

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Sweet Sleep, Safe Sleep-How Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is described as the cessation or blockage of airflow for more than 10 seconds with continued chest and abdominal effort. This is a serious medical condition that involves the ability to breathe while sleeping.

In 1997, a sleep research team from Stanford University developed a formula that states the predictive factors that put an individual at risk for OSA. They include:

  • High palates (infringe on nasal space)
  • Narrow dental arches (infringe on tongue space)
  • Overjets (retruded chins, Class II malocclusions – drives tongue back into throat)
  • Large neck size
  • Large body mass index

How Does This Relate to Breastfeeding?
"My research indicates that infants who are breastfed are more likely to have nice Class I occlusions and less likely to have the malocclusion traits listed above," says Dr. Brian Palmer, a family dentist from Leawood, Kan. "Therefore, infants who are breastfed are less likely to develop sleep apnea."

Dr. Palmer feels that OSA is grossly under diagnosed and therefore under treated. "OSA is an 'iceberg' in our health care system," he says. "The health consequences and costs of OSA could financially bankrupt our current health care system. The best course is prevention – breastfeeding is the best prevention – and educating the public about OSA."

Breastfeeding is important to the proper development of the swallowing action of the tongue, proper alignment of the teeth and the shaping of the hard palate, explains Dr. Palmer. "Bottle-feeding, pacifier use and infant habits such as thumb-sucking, arm-sucking, etc. can cause tongue thrusts and malocclusions," he says. "Occlusion and a high palate impact the flow of air through the airway."


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