The Positive Effect of Adenotonsillectomy on Drooling in Children

Objectives. (1) To investigate the prevalence and severity of drooling among healthy young children referred for adenotonsillectomy; (2) to evaluate the effect of adenotonsillectomy on drooling. Study Design. Prospective study. Setting. Tertiary referral center. Methods. Healthy typically developed children aged 18 to 48 months referred to adenotonsillectomy for upper airway obstruction (UAO) were recruited. Age-matched children recruited from the community served as controls. Drooling frequency and severity were assessed at baseline and 2 months following surgery based on 2 subjective scales: the Drooling Infants and Preschoolers Scale (DRIPS) and Thomas-Stonell and Greenberg Saliva Severity Scale (TSGS). Results. Eighty-seven children aged 18 to 48 months were included in the study. Forty-three children referred to adenotonsillectomy (study group) and 44 age-matched controls. There were significant differences in almost all of the DRIPS items between children in the presurgery group compared to controls. Drooling severity and frequency were greater in the former compared to the latter (TGF-s severity: 1.4 +/- 1.0 vs 0.6 +/- 0.8, P = .001; TGF frequency: 1.3 +/- 0.9 vs 0.5 +/- 0.6, P < .001). After surgery, the scores for all DRIPS and TSGS items decreased significantly and were comparable to the control group. Conclusions. The frequency and severity of drooling among otherwise young children referred for adenotonsillectomy were greater than those for healthy controls. Following surgery, both the frequency and severity significantly improved and became comparable to those of controls. These findings suggest that a major improvement in drooling is one of the benefits of a surgical intervention in a child with UAO.