Singulair Eases Sleep-disordered Breathing in Kids

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a study of children with mild sleep-disordered breathing, a once-daily Singulair pill led to significant reductions in both adenoid size and respiratory-related sleep disturbance.

Singulair, known generically as montelukast, is usually prescribed for treating asthma and can be given to kids as a chewable tablet.

The new findings suggest that anti-inflammatory treatment may be useful in children with sleep-disordered breathing that is too mild to warrant removal of the tonsils and adenoids, study investigators conclude in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Dr. Aviv D. Goldbart and colleagues from the University of Louisville in Kentucky studied 24 children whose parents described them as habitual snorers and who had occasional episodes of blocked breathing when they slept.

A 16-week course of Singulair led to significant improvements in upper airway patency and in the severity of sleep-disordered breathing. These improvements were absent in 16 similar children who did not receive treatment.

Goldbart and colleagues note that controlled trials are needed to corroborate these preliminary findings and "solidly establish" anti-inflammatory strategies "as therapeutic alternatives in children with sleep-disordered breathing too mild to justify referral for adenotonsillectomy."

SOURCE: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, August 1, 2005.