Science News

Why Snoring May Be a Family Affair

Anyone recognise the familiar sound of snoring? Well, it's more familiar than you might think. Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical centre in the US have found that snoring can run in families. The children of snorers are three times more likely to snore themselves. And if the kids have allergies, then they're also twice as likely to be noisy at night. To get their results, the scientists studied nearly 700 children who were around a year old. This makes the study very interesting, as previous research into snoring kids has focused on older children. Although it seems harmless, snoring can actually lead to discrupted sleep, behavioural problems and even heart trouble. The scientists are now going to follow the children up to the age of 5, to see if their snoring patterns change as they grow.

9th Apr 2006