(CNN) If you're questioning whether tonsillectomy -- a surgical procedure to remove the tonsils -- can really improve sleep and throat health in children, new research suggests to cut it out. However, large tonsils in children may hinder breathing when they sleep, a problem called obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB), and they can also trap and harbor bacteria in the throat, leading to infections. These issues prompt about 530,000 children younger than 15 to have tonsillectomies each year in the United States. The studies reviewed included children with at least three infections in the previous one to three years. "For instance, you can still have a sore throat, even if you don't have your tonsils," she said.

Source: CNN January 17, 2017 14:54 UTC