Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy as a Cause of Failure to Thrive

Two infant aged 11 and 15 months presented to the GastroenterologyClinic at Alberta Children's Hospital because of failure to thrive.Clinical and laboratory investigations excluded any underlying abnormality of1he gastrointestinal tract. Because of a history of obstructive upper respiratorysymptoms, both were referred for ear, nose and throat evaluation, and both werefound to have partial upper airway obstruction secondary to adenotonsillarhypertrophy. Subsequent adenotonsillectomy led to resolution of obstructiveupper respiratory symptoms and dramatic increases in weight gain and growth.Adenotonsillar hypertrophy should be included among the potential causes offailure to thrive in infancy, especially if the child has a history of obstructiveupper respiratory symptoms