ADD or Too early to learn?

[mariella139]

Sir or Madame,
My 7 year old daughters academic career has been rough, she has a difficult time focusing/concentrating for long periods of time at school.  She gets pulled out for basic skills math/reading/writing services, i fear are very disruptive to being engrained in the class.  I've noticed she drools in her sleep, very rarely snores, her mouth is slightly open and tongue drooling out if she is watching tv and unaware.  Could there be any relation to a sleep apnea perhaps and the focusing dilemma i am having? are there vitamins ? we've tried the Dr. Sears chewables nothing seemed to work.
any input would be appreciated,
regards to you
maria

[allmymarbles]

From the time one of my daughters was very young she suffered from sleep apnea. Unfortunately it was not diagnosed early on, and I thought that, like her father, she did not require as much sleep as the other children. When she was older and could express herself better she was treated. Her nasal passages are narrow and swell. Saline makes the situation worse in her case, so we have put her on natural anti-inflammatories. Her breathing is much improved. There is also a nasal spray, Chromolyn, which works better with time.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

As long as she is eating a balanced diet vitamins are not necessary, and in any case they would make no difference in what you are describing. It can be true that sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, can interfere with sustained attention and the symptoms can certainly look very much like Inattentive-type ADHD. The only way to know for sure about apnea is to have a sleep study.