TY - JOUR T1 - Growth and mouth breathers JO - Jornal de Pediatria (English Edition) T2 - AU - Morais-Almeida,Mario AU - Wandalsen,Gustavo Falbo AU - Solé,Dirceu SN - 00217557 M3 - 10.1016/j.jped.2018.11.005 DO - 10.1016/j.jped.2018.11.005 UR - https://jped.elsevier.es/en-growth-mouth-breathers-articulo-S0021755718310659 AB - ObjectiveTo assess the relationship between mouth breathing and growth disorders among children and teenagers. Data sourceSearch on MEDLINE database, over the last 10 years, by using the following terms: “mouth breathing”, “adenotonsilar hypertrophy”, “allergic rhinitis”, “sleep disturbance” AND “growth impairment”, “growth hormone”, “failure to thrive”, “short stature”, or “failure to thrive”. Data summaryA total of 247 articles were identified and, after reading the headings, this number was reduced to 45 articles, whose abstracts were read and, of these, 20 were deemed important and were included in the review. In addition of these articles, references mentioned in them and specific books on mouth breathing deemed important were included. Hypertrophy of palatine and/or pharyngeal tonsils, whether associated with allergic rhinitis, as well as poorly controlled allergic rhinitis, are the main causes of mouth breathing in children. Respiratory sleep disorders are frequent among these patients. Several studies associate mouth breathing with reduced growth, as well as with reduced growth hormone release, which are reestablished after effective treatment of mouth breathing (clinical and/or surgical). ConclusionsMouth breathing should be considered as a potential cause of growth retardation in children; pediatricians should assess these patients in a broad manner. ER -