A friend's child had snoring problems before the age of 5, possible obstructive sleep apnea. There can be serious developmental consequences to this, some of wh

A friend's child had snoring problems before the age of 5, possible obstructive sleep apnea. There can be serious developmental consequences to this, some of which were showing early signs. The specialist diagnosed his tonsil enlargement as grade 3 (4 maximum) and recommended tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. This is recommended in grade 3s with his symptoms; strongly advised in grade 4s. But the specialist gave them thorough context that led them to go against his advice. Children go through 2 growth spurts of the neck around ages 5-7 and ages 10-12. After these growth spurts the ratio of tonsil mass to neck cavity decreases, giving even large tonsils more room -- possibly enough to no longer require surgery. They pursued simpler treatments like saline sprays before bed to make nose breathing easier, which greatly reduced snoring. Developmental delays were caught up, and now at 6 years old they are glad they avoided the surgery, though admit it wasn't necessarily bad advice and were prepared to reconsider it if no progress was shown in 6 or so months.