Experts call for more children to have tonsils removed – as study shows the surgery reduces behavioral problems and even blood pressure

• Children who had tonsils removed had better sleep and overall better behavior
• The procedure is typically performed after frequent infections and sleep issues
• READ MORE:  Having your tonsils removed could raise your risk of ARTHRITIS

Doctors are calling for more parents to get their children’s tonsils surgically removed in order to improve their sleep and quality of life, and reduce their risk of heart conditions down the line.

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute found when children underwent tonsillectomies to remove the two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of the throat, the quality of their sleep improved, as did their level of daytime sleepiness and behavior.

The children who underwent the procedure were also more likely to have reduced blood pressure and less likely to show signs of progressive disease than children who kept their tonsils.

A tonsillectomy is one of the most common procedures in children and teens, with more than 500,000 surgeries performed each year. It is typically performed to improve breathing problems while asleep and/or put a stop to recurring bacterial tonsil infections.

During a tonsillectomy, doctors place a tool in the child’s mouth to cut or shave away the the two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of the throat. They may also use a method called cauterization to burn them off.

Children who got their tonsils removed had better behavior, though there was no difference in hand and finger coordination tests. Sleeping quality, including snoring and apnea symptoms, also improved among children who underwent a tonsillectomy, as did their overall well-being

The Massachusetts researchers set out to determine how a tonsillectomy early in life could affect brain development, sleep, behavior, and quality of life.

Out of 459 children ages three through 13 with mild sleep-disordered breathing – defined as habitual snoring without frequent breathing interruptions – doctors followed up with 395 of them one year after getting their enlarged tonsils removed.

Those with tonsils removed had better behavior, though there was no difference in hand and finger coordination tests.

Sleeping quality, including snoring and apnea symptoms, also improved among children who underwent a tonsillectomy, as did their overall well-being.

After 12 months, the adenotonsillectomy group had a bigger decrease in blood pressure levels than the group that chose to wait and see what happened.

During a tonsillectomy, doctors place a tool in the child’s mouth to cut or shave away the tonsils. They may also use a method called cauterization to burn them off. 

The whole procedure lasts only 20 to 30 minutes, but requires the child to undergo general anesthesia. 

Are throat cancers on the rise because we’ve stopped removing tonsils? 

A major study suggested that tonsillectomy can slash the risk of a cancer in the tonsil area later in life by up to 85 per cent — the risk is not reduced by 100 per cent because rogue cancer cells can still settle in the soft tissue where the tonsils sat. 

Still, it typically does not require stitches and the child can go home the same day.  

Parents and pediatricians have long known that high-quality sleep between nine and 14 hours is crucial to a child’s neurodevelopment, affecting mental health and behavior and leading to poorer cognitive function and concentration problems at school.

Poor sleep hygiene in childhood has also been associated with metabolic disorders down the line, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Dr Susan Redline, a sleep medicine expert at Harvard University and coauthor of the study, said: ‘Our data suggests that for children with no symptoms other than snoring, it’s reasonable to monitor them over time without proceeding to surgery.

‘On the other hand, for children who are having issues with disturbed sleep, daytime sleepiness and behavioral problems, our data suggest that surgery may be a very reasonable option, even if a sleep study shows that they don’t have frequent apneas [or temporary pauses in breathing].’

The team will continue with their research by looking at longer-term effects of undergoing a tonsillectomy in childhood.

Dr Redline said: ‘Our team is very interested in a longer term follow up of children.

‘There are open questions about the impact of having tonsils removed over a child’s lifetime, as well as its impact on trajectories of growth and development beyond a year.’

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