Can a baby have narcolepsy?

[Naominjw]

At 16, my daughter finally had a sleep study. She met the criteria for narcolepsy. What I find puzzling is that her sleep problems were already there in infancy. She did not sleep excessively at first -- just very erratically, in short pieces of time. Even at 6 months old I could put her on her back and she would suddenly be asleep for 5-15 minutes (in the middle of an activity).

1- Can a BABY have narcolepsy?

2- I also very much wonder if ths erratic sleep could either have caused a hypothalmic-pituitary dysfunction she was later diagnosed with (idiopathic and appears to be slowly deteriorating), or, if the hypothalmic-pituitary....whatever... could have caused the sleep dysfunction.

3- Could anything have been done for a BABY with a sleep disorder? I cannot imagine giving a baby meds like my daughter takes now.... yet sleep is so critical... especially to  baby!

Thank you

[Naominjw]

Yes, an infant can have narcolepsy.  I found some articles that answered my first question...

Infancy Onset of Symptoms of Narcolepsy in a Child
Manisha B. Witmans and Valerie G. Kirk
and
Paediatric narcolepsy: complexities of diagnosis.
Hood BM, Harbord MG.

I will try to get hold of the full-text of the articles.

[KatEyes]

Tough questions. Have you visited some of the major sleep sites where they deal with this all the time? Seems a pediatic neurologist or endocrinologist would be able to answer your questions.