New research suggests that urine can be used to determine whether or not a child has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

If urine tests were to be adopted, it would eliminate the need for children to go through inconvenient sleep tests. About 20 to 30 percent of children who snore have OSA.

The study was conducted on 90 children, who all had breathing problems when they were sleeping and 30 of the patients were not snorers. First, the children underwent sleep study procedures and then they submitted their urine samples for evaluation.

During the screening, the researchers found that the urine of children with OSA had different protein ratios compared to those who had habitual snoring or no snoring.

The researchers want to validate their findings with the help of other sleep laboratories in the country. The screening is just a color-based test that can be performed by physicians and even parents.