CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., March 15 Sleep disorders in children may contribute to intellectual impairment, say University of Virginia Health System researchers.Dr. Paul M. Suratt, a pulmonologist and director of the university's Sleep Laboratory, said vocabulary differences associated with nightly snoring are the same as IQ dissimilarities attributed to lead exposure.Studies show that, even at nontoxic levels, lead exposure can reduce a child's IQ by more than seven points, Suratt said in a statement. We have also found that obstructive sleep disordered breathing occurs more often in African-American children. ... (This) places them at greater risk of cognitive impairment.Children with sleep disorders have been observed snoring, snorting, gasping, tossing and turning during the day. These children are observed as irritable, hyperactive and unable to concentrate, according to Suratt.Copyright 2007 by UPI
