A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine suggests that a new, simple color-based urine test can help detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children, by distinguishing between dangerous and safe snoring.

With earlier studies having reported that children who snore face a higher risk of OSA – a medical condition linked to a number of mental, behavioral, cardiovascular and metabolic problems in children, the new study has found that a greater risk of dangerous snoring in children results from increased urine levels of certain proteins.

For their study, the researchers at the University of Chicago observed 90 children who had been referred to a clinic for an assessment of their breathing problems in sleep. The children’s first sample of morning urine was tested with fluorescent dyes to gauge the levels of certain proteins.

It was found that three proteins - urocortin 3, orosomucoid and uromodulin - were at higher concentrations in the urine of children with OSA; while the kallikrein 1 was at a lower level.

Noting that the findings might help in the potential development of a simple color-based test for detecting OSA in children, lead researcher Dr David Gozal said that such a test would help “screen children for OSA for a fraction of the cost of keeping them in a sleep clinic overnight, and it would overcome the huge waiting lists for such screening.”