Should a 3 year old have their tonsils removed?

When should a child's tonsils be removed? Is tonsillectomy dangerous or does it cause any complications later? These are questions many parents have about tonsillectomy for children.

Ask:My child was born on April 30, 2012, weighing 3.4 kg. Since 1.5 months, he has been sick often and has been taking all kinds of antibiotics. He has been injected with medicine for 6 months, mainly for respiratory and bronchial infections. He has been taking medicine almost every month, sometimes from one month to the next, and now he is still the same and often has sore throat and tonsillitis. He can get sick 2-3 times a month, sometimes he only recovers for 3-4 days and then gets sick again. I am very worried. I went to an ENT specialist and was advised to have his tonsils removed. Can you tell me if this is possible? My child is only 3 years old, is it safe to have it removed? Will it have any future effects? My child is very naughty, is it okay to have it removed? I hope the doctor can advise me. Currently, my child weighs 16 kg and is 98 cm tall. I look forward to hearing from the doctor.

Reply:Hello, according to your information, your baby is currently 3 years old and weighs 16kg. For children after 6 months of age, the antibodies from the mother have run out and they begin to adapt to the surrounding environment. However, because the immune system is not fully developed until the age of 7, children are very susceptible to upper respiratory tract infections. For children of nursery age, they are very susceptible to rhinopharyngitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, etc. due to exposure to pathogens in the air and food. Depending on the cause of the disease, whether it is a virus or bacteria, the usual treatment time is from 3 to 10 days. Antibiotics must be used as prescribed or else they will cause drug resistance later.

In the case of your child, you need to see an ENT specialist to determine whether or not you have tonsillitis. For children under 5 years old, tonsillectomy is usually only performed in cases where the tonsils are large and overdeveloped, affecting eating or causing sleep apnea (the child snores, is startled, has apnea, is tired during the day, is drowsy, etc.). The remaining cases can be treated with internal medicine, and prevention can be achieved by eating hygienically and avoiding polluted living environments.

Currently, tonsillectomy is performed under general anesthesia and is considered safe if performed at specialized ENT hospitals. After surgery, the child must follow a special diet (mainly soft, liquid, cold foods), avoiding strenuous exercise for 2 weeks to prevent complications of postoperative bleeding. After that, the child will return to normal activities and eating.

According to Giadinh.net