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Whether (adeno)tonsillectomy as a risk factor for the development of overweight is unknown, studies among about 4000 Dutch children have shown accelerated weight gain after the (adeno)tonsillectomy in the general population.
The investigators also measured the children’s weight & height at 8 years of age. Undergoing (adeno)tonsillectomy from birth to age 7 was significantly associated with overweight and obesity at 8 years of age. Being overweight at 2 years of age did not predict increased risk for (adeno)tonsillectomy at older ages, suggesting that preexisting overweight did not explain the association between (adeno)tonsillectomy and overweight.
Data on weight &height in the years before and after surgery suggest that (adeno)tonsillectomy forms a turning point between a period of growth faltering and a period of catch-up growth, which might explain the increased risk to develop overweight after the operation. The study authors write, “Children who undergo (adeno)tonsillectomy are at increased risk to develop overweight in the years after surgery.”
Limitations of this study includes loss to follow-up for the medical examination where weight and height were measured and that most data were parental reported.”Dietary and lifestyle advice at the time of surgery and growth monitoring thereafter might help parents to keep their child’s catch-up growth within healthy limits,” the study authors conclude.