OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of snoring on facial growth in children and the changes after surgery.

METHODSObservations on facial growth were taken by X-ray 1.5 - 2 years before and after surgery on 40 children snorers aged between 2 - 5 years old, whose tonsils and (or) adenoids were completely removed. The data collected before surgery in the 2 - 3 years old snorers and in the 4 - 5 years old ones were compared with the data from healthy children at the same age respectively.

RESULTSThe comparison of data between 21 children snorers aged from 2 - 3 and 17 healthy children of the same ages showed that there was no significant difference in the diameter of pharyngeal cavity at tongue base (PAS), the diameter of nasopharyngeal cavity (UPW-PNS) and the angle between mandibular plane and frankfort horizontal plane (FH-MP) within 2 - 3 years group by statistically (P > 0.05). There is no significance in UPW-PNS and FH-MP angle within 4 - 5 years group by statistics (P > 0.05). Others results is significance in all groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in all groups expect Y-axis Angle 1.5 - 2 years after surgery (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAbnormal facial growth was caused by the consistent force from the changed way of breathing due to the increasing narrowness of upper airway obstruction and the long-existing obstructive sleep. Surgery done as soon as possible is helpful to reduce the force caused by the obstruction and helpful to the normal facial growth.