Subtle symptom on boy's face revealed he was suffering from silent health emergency

A Texas mother is urging parents to look out for a common breathing habit that could have life-long consequences for their children.

Soshanna Deyette, from Austin, went through years of misdiagnoses by doctors who struggled to work out what was behind her son’s seemingly unrelated symptoms.

Tab had been mute until he was in kindergarten, he barely slept and would display outbursts of erratic behavior.

Ms Deyette suspected it was autism and one doctor diagnosed Tab, now seven, with attention deficit disorder (ADHD). Another doctor suggested it was all in his head.

It wasn’t until Ms Deyette was referred to a specialist that the family finally had answers: Tab was a 'mouth breather.'

The doctor noticed Tab's undefined cheekbones, set-back jaw and receding chin - all of which are hallmark signs of chronic mouth breathing.

It happens when someone primarily takes in oxygen through their mouth as opposed to their nose. Six in 10 Americans do it.

But it can have devastating consequences for developing children because it limits the amount of oxygen the body can absorb and use to grow.

It also limits the amount of oxygen that gets to the brain, which can slow their neurological development. 

If severe enough, mouth breathing also makes it difficult to sleep, which is crucial in the early stages of a child's growth.

The airways become constricted, leading to snoring, snorting, or sudden waking.

Ms Deyette said: ‘I didn't even realize for the first year of his life that something was wrong.

'But in hindsight, when I go back and I look at videos and pictures, he always had some level of respiratory congestion that I just assumed was mucus and that's why he couldn't breathe at night.

‘He always had his mouth open. All of his videos you can hear this snorting, gurgling… like the airway trying to breathe.’

Mouth breathing can change the position of the tongue, which is important for facial growth.

If left untreated, children may develop flatter faces, less prominent cheekbones, and droopier eyes. 

They may also have lower facial muscle tone and wider dental arches. 

Mouth breathing can also lead to dry mouth, which can reduce saliva and increase the risk of tooth decay and gingivitis.

Between 10 percent and half of children do it, with varying degrees of severity. Most grow out of it, according to a National Library of Medicine report. 

At 18-months Ms Deyette noticed Tab was not speaking much, had disconnected behavior and 'congestion, open mouth breathing and snoring.’

Her son’s snoring could be heard through a closed door and over a sound machine in the boys’ room and television in the living room.

At two-and-a-half he was hardly talking and was receiving speech therapy.

Ms Deyette said: ‘I took him back in and had him tested for autism. I wanted answers to what was wrong with my kid. 

'He was in this "La La Land," in his own world and very disconnected from everything.

‘I asked our pediatrician and I remember her taking her scope, looking at his mouth and [she] did not see anything. There were no blockages.’

After a change in primary care doctor, Ms Deyette was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist who said Tab was suffering from a double ear infection.

She was told his adenoids - tiny glands behind the nose - were covering 90 percent of his nasal airway and blocking him from breathing through his nose.

Following adenoid removal his symptoms improved - but that was only part of the problem.

Ms Deyette described Tab's transformation as a ‘word explosion’ as his speech improved and his dancing and child-like behavior increased.

But it was not long before the little boy's symptoms returned, albeit much milder than before.

Ms Deyette shared in an Instagram post: ‘His breathing continued to be labored. His snoring returned. 

'He had continued respiratory illnesses over the years.'

The damage done to Tab's facial structure from years of breathing wrong was still having an effect.

Working with a dental team, the family was prescribed a device similar to a mouth-guard used in sports that forces the tongue to function properly against the roof of the mouth, thus forcing people to breathe through their nose.

Known as ToothPillow, it ‘helps guide natural growth and development, mitigating the detrimental effects of modern living on their mouths, jaws and airways.’

As of now, the ToothPillow device is only proven effective for those still in their formative years, ages three to 12. People outside that age-range have to seek alternative methods.

In addition to ToothPillow, those who are chronic mouth breathers can seek myofunctional therapy to help strengthen the tongue and orofacial muscles, teaching the muscles to assume the appropriate position, in turn encouraging the healthier-optioned nasal breathing.

There are multiple reasons why a child could resort to mouth breathing over nasal breathing, but one possible explanation experts give is a soft diet in early life.

An early soft diet  prevents the growth of muscle fibers, which weakens the tongue and affects the development of the mouth. This leads to more crowding of permanent teeth, according to research done by Dr James Sim Wallace, a dentist.

Four hundred years ago, underdeveloped jaws and crowded teeth did not exist.

Breastfeeding was traditionally followed by an early hard-food diet, which led to perfectly formed upper and lower jaws.

Now, however, it is common for developing children to consume a soft diet, relying on bottle feeding, pacifiers, soft baby food and reduced duration of breastfeeding.

And by not allowing the jaw to form entirely, children may become mouth breathers.

Research has also linked mouth breathing in children to an increased risk of ADHD, bedwetting, tonsillitis, adenoids, asthma and allergies.