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Apnoea Research Funded By Australian Government

Wed, Oct 24, 2012

The following press release excerpt is from the office of the Minister for Health, the Hon Tanya Plibersek.  

"Minister for Health Highlights the Potential Serious Consequences of Sleep Apnoea in Children"

As part of the NHMRC funding announcements made on Friday October 19, the Minister for Health the Hon Tanya Plibersek toured the laboratory of Professor Karen Waters of the University of Sydney who received a $990,000 grant to undertake research on young children suffering from sleep apnoea.

Ms Plibersek stated:  “Every parent knows what it’s like when children have difficulty sleeping, but having a child with sleep apnoea, who isn’t breathing properly at night, is a very serious problem.”

“This important research will look at the relationship between sleep apnoea, which affects about one in 30 children, and intelligence and learning.”

For a full report of the NHMRC media release see: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/media/releases/2012/652-million-boost-best-and-brightest-medical-researchers

As many as 45% of children have been reported to have one or more sleep problems. If left untreated, sleep disorders may have deleterious effects on a child’s development and negatively affect other family members. For further information on childhood sleep disorders see: http://theconversation.edu.au/explainer-childhood-sleep-disorders-7271