It used to be that as soon as a child had a couple of sore throats in a row, their tonsils came out.

Today, tonsillectomies are so rare that some kids develop snoring and breathing problems called apnea.

Still, many doctors and parents hesitate to get their child's tonsils out.

But now there's reason to believe that's not a great idea.

A study in the public library of science medicine finds that kids with severe obstructive sleep apnea appear to suffer damage in two brain structures tied to learning ability.

Researchers also found that children with altered brain scans also scored lower on standardized IQ and memory tests.

Otolaryngologist Dr. Max April, says, “This should be addressed earlier than later and maybe waiting isn't the right thing to do."

You should still carefully consider your options before signing up for tonsil surgery.

But this study suggests, don't let it go too long.

And now there's an option called tonsil shaving that's much less traumatic and has kids back to normal in just a couple of days.