Removing the tonsils of children who have runny noses and persistent colds has little effect, and the complaints usually clear up by themselves, according to researchers at Utrecht University medical school.

The researchers studied 100 children aged between one and six who often had colds.
However, removing the tonsils of children who have breathing problems is beneficial, the researchers said.
Some 21,000 Dutch children undergo a tonsil operation every year and a further 19,000 have both their tonsils and adenoids removed. This is four times the level of Britain and Italy, news agency ANP said.