New sleep study unit for children at The Ipswich Hospital

Young patients at Ipswich Hospital are today benefiting from state-of-the-art equipment which records children’s sleep patterns and speeds up the diagnosis of illnesses.

The hospital’s children’s department has a new £10,000 sleep study machine which monitors children to help diagnose conditions like sleep apnea, where patients’ breathing pauses while asleep.

The equipment was bought by Hope House Suffolk, a charity set up to improve the health of children, and was presented to consultant paediatrician James Gould this month.

Karen Richards, paediatric respiratory nurse specialist, said: “The equipment will be hugely beneficial. By being able to diagnose conditions quicker we will be able to start treatment sooner.”

The equipment is connected to children when they stay in hospital overnight and monitors them throughout their sleep. It measures several factors including pulse rate, oxygen levels and chest movement. It also has a video camera and microphone to record the patient.

It will be used to help children with neurological/muscular conditions like muscular dystrophy, youngsters who have sleep disturbance or sleep apnea and Ear, Nose and Throat paediatric patients who may need their tonsils out.