Jack Leon Paradise (1925 – December 20, 2021) was a pediatrician, pediatric primary care researcher, and
professor emeritus
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
of
pediatrics
Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...
at
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
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
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Paradise's studies have helped to promote the use of strict criteria for
tonsillectomy
Tonsillectomy is a list of surgical procedures, surgical procedure in which both palatine tonsils are fully removed from the back of the throat. The procedure is mainly performed for recurrent tonsillitis, throat infections and obstructive sleep ...
and
adenoidectomy. The 78% decline in pediatric tonsillectomies in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
between 1971 and 1996 has also been largely attributed to his work.
External links
"Expert Q & A"from the
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
.
Biographyat
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
References
1925 births
2021 deaths
American pediatricians
American otolaryngologists
University of Pittsburgh faculty
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