Ear infection - How to help keep your child from getting ear infections

Ear infection

How to help keep your child from getting ear infections

It's almost impossible to stop your child from getting colds and other illnesses that can lead to an ear infection. But you can take steps that may help keep your child from getting ear

infection
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.

infections.

There hasn't been much research to show for sure that these things help, but they might be worth trying.

Don't smoke near your child, and make sure no one else does either. Exposing your child's ears to cigarette smoke may put them at higher risk for ear infections.

Source:
Strachan DP, Cook DG.
Health effects of passive smoking, 4: passive smoking, middle ear disease and adenotonsillectomy in children.
Thorax. 1998; 53: 50-56.

¹
Keep your child away from playmates who have colds or other infections whenever possible.
If you're pregnant or you've just had a baby, consider breast-feeding your newborn, even for just a few weeks. Breast-feeding rather than bottle-feeding seems to protect children from ear infections in the years to come.

Source:
Paradise JL, Rockette HE, Colborn DK, et al.
Otitis media in 2253 Pittsburgh area infants: prevalence and risk factors during the first two years of life.
Pediatrics. 1997; 99: 318-333.

²
If you choose to bottle-feed, try not to let your child use a bottle lying down. Babies who drink from a bottle lying down seem to get ear infections more often.
If your child has an

allergy
If you have an allergy to something, your body overreacts when you're around it. The thing you are allergic to is called an allergen. Most allergens are harmless to most people. But if you're allergic to something, your body's system for fighting infection (your immune system) is too sensitive to that allergen. It triggers changes that we call allergic reactions. For example, pollen is an allergen for many people. If you're allergic to pollen, you'll sneeze and have runny eyes when pollen is in the air.

allergy, remove the thing that triggers their allergic reaction, such as animal hair. Some research has shown that allergies are linked to ear infections.

Source:
Hanson MJ.
Acute otitis media in children.
Nurse Practitioner. 1996; 21: 72-74.

³ An allergy happens when the body's

immune system
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.

immune system over-reacts to a substance that's usually harmless, such as pollen.
Children who get lots of ear infections might benefit from having a flu shot (flu vaccine). (A vaccine is a treatment that prepares the body to fight off infection.) Ask your doctor if a vaccine might help your child.

Source:
Eskola J, Kilpi T, Palmu A, et al.
Efficacy of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against acute otitis media.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344: 403-409.

⁴ To learn more, see Vaccines and how they work.
If your child gets an ear infection, ask your doctor if antibiotics are necessary (antibiotics are drugs that kill

bacteria
Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.

bacteria). Using antibiotics too much can cause ear infections to come back. This is because the bacteria become resistant to the drug.

It's not clear from the research whether sucking a pacifier can cause ear infections. There might be a risk for children who are prone to ear infections. If your child gets lots of ear infections, and they are over 1 year old, it might be worth trying to wean them off their pacifier.

Source:
Roversa MM, Numans ME, Langenbach E, et al.
Is pacifier use a risk factor for acute otitis media? A dynamic cohort study.
June 2008. Available at http://fampra.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/cmn030v1 (accessed on 8 October 2008).

⁵

Sources for the information on this page:

Strachan DP, Cook DG.Health effects of passive smoking, 4: passive smoking, middle ear disease and adenotonsillectomy in children.Thorax. 1998; 53: 50-56.

Paradise JL, Rockette HE, Colborn DK, et al.Otitis media in 2253 Pittsburgh area infants: prevalence and risk factors during the first two years of life.Pediatrics. 1997; 99: 318-333.

Hanson MJ.Acute otitis media in children.Nurse Practitioner. 1996; 21: 72-74.

Eskola J, Kilpi T, Palmu A, et al.Efficacy of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against acute otitis media.New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344: 403-409.

Roversa MM, Numans ME, Langenbach E, et al. Is pacifier use a risk factor for acute otitis media? A dynamic cohort study.June 2008. Available at http://fampra.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/cmn030v1 (accessed on 8 October 2008).

This information was last updated on May 12, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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