When Should A Child's Tonsils Come Out?

NEW YORK (CBS4) -- Every year, half a million kids have their tonsils removed. Now, new guidelines are helping doctors and parents make better decisions about who needs surgery and who doesn't.

Six-year old Valentina Tomasino is feeling fine now but she's dealt with a lot of pain.

"I felt like my throat had something clogging it and it hurt," explained Valentina.

"She had trouble sleeping because she couldn't breathe being that her tonsils were so large," said Valentina's mother Mariana Nuziale.

Valentina had recurring throat infections so her doctor recommended taking her tonsils out. Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgeries for children in the U.S. but now new guidelines say it's not always necessary.

"Most kids with frequent throat infections often do better on their own if you do wait it out," explained Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, the guideline's author.

Doctors have long disagreed on whether or not tonsillectomies make a difference, still every year more than half a million children in the U.S have their tonsils removed

The new guidelines from the American Academy of Otolaryngology say children who have at least 7 throat infections a year are good candidates for surgery. So are children, like Valentina, who have tonsils so large, their breathing is obstructed at night.

"There are lots of kids who don't sleep well at night, who are having trouble in school and they're not performing as well as they should, they really need careful assessment," said Dr. Rosenfeld.

Valentina says she was sick of being sick and missing school.

"Now I'm a little happier because I go to school and my throat doesn't hurt anymore," said Valentina.

She hasn't had a throat infection in months.

The new guidelines also say doctors should not routinely prescribe antibiotics after surgery because there is no benefit and the body can build up resistance to the drugs.