ABSTRACT
Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the most common cause of upper airway obstruction and sleep apnea syndrome in children, may be an important factor for failure to thrive by decreasing the secretion of serum growth hormone [GH] and insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1]. This is an experimental interventional study. Fasting serum GH, IGF-1 levels, growth and body mass indexes were measured in 30 children with 3-13 years old at the operation's day and 110 days post-operation. There was no statistical correlation between serum IGF-1 levels before and after adenotonsillectomy in total group patients, but there was a significant statistical correlation between IGF-1 levels with grade III and IV of tonsillar hypertrophy. Grade III and IV of adenotonsillar hypertrophy is an important factor for serum GH and IGF-1 decreasing and failure to thrive [FTT]