Jack L. Paradise is a professor emeritus of pediatrics

Pediatrics

Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...

 at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is a medical school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The School of Medicine is also known as Pitt Med, and is ranked as a “top medical school” by U.S. News & World Report in the publication's categories of research and primary care...

 and a leading researcher of the placement of tympanostomy tube

Tympanostomy tube

A tympanostomy tube is a small tube inserted into the eardrum in order to keep the middle ear aerated for a prolonged period of time, and to prevent the accumulation of mucus in the middle ear. The operation to insert the tube involves a myringotomy...

s in children with persistent otitis media

Otitis media

Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, or a middle ear infection.It occurs in the area between the tympanic membrane and the inner ear, including a duct known as the eustachian tube. It is one of the two categories of ear inflammation that can underlie what is commonly called an earache,...

.

Research

Paradise asserts that the common fear of developmental problems caused by persistent ear infections in children are unfounded. According to Paradise's research, for children up to 3 years old, "ear disease does not cause any developmental problems." The research asserts that if the insertion of tympanostomy tubes into a child's ear is delayed, there is "no effect on a child's performance on language tests and speech tests."

In otherwise healthy children ages 9 to 11 who have persistent middle-ear effusion, a study led by Paradise concluded that "prompt insertion of tympanostomy tubes does not improve developmental outcomes."

Impact on medical community

According to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, a hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is the only hospital in southwestern Pennsylvania dedicated solely to the care of infants, children and young adults. Care is provided by more than 700 board-certified pediatricians and pediatric...

, Paradise's studies have helped to promote the use of strict criteria for tonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy

A tonsillectomy is a 3,000-year-old surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed from either side of the throat. The procedure is performed in response to cases of repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis or adenoiditis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, snoring, or...

 and adenoidectomy

Adenoidectomy

Adenoidectomy is the surgical removal of the adenoids. They may be removed for several reasons, including impaired breathing through the nose and chronic infections or earaches. The surgery is less common for adults. It is most often done on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia....

. The 78% decline in pediatric tonsillectomies in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 between 1971 and 1996 has also been largely attributed to his work.

External links

• "Expert Q & A" from the New York Times.
• Biography at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
  Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
  Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, a hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is the only hospital in southwestern Pennsylvania dedicated solely to the care of infants, children and young adults. Care is provided by more than 700 board-certified pediatricians and pediatric...