Parents of infants and very young children usually face the problem of their kids contracting an ear infection, but research has found that the trend is generally improving nowadays, with a lesser prevalence now compared to earlier years.
In a study published in Pediatrics, researchers followed more than 300 babies beginning from the time these babies were younger than a month until they were a year old, reports CNN. They noted cases of ear infection and the common cold, as well as other factors that could affect the risk of a child having ear infections, including the presence of bacteria and viruses in their noses and throats, whether these children were breastfed or not, and their levels of exposure to cigarette smoke.
Lower Rates of Infection
The researchers found that the rate of ear infections occurring among the children in the study was lower than the rates that were recorded in similar studies conducted in the '80s and '90s, when 60 percent of kids contracted ear infections in their first year of life. The rate established in the current study was a mere 46 percent. This, according to the study's lead author, should come as good news to all parents concerned.
"For parents, it's good news that the most common disease in infants and young children has come down," said study lead author Dr. Tasnee Chonmaitree, professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Chonmaitree's study only involved children coming from Galveston, Texas. And although the earlier studies involved children in other parts of the country, Chonmaitree believes that the results are still representative of the whole nation's rates of ear infection among children.
Other Factors Involved
Just like other studies, Chonmaitree's study also found that ear infections among children normally occur at a higher rate following a bout with the common cold. Chonmaitree's study also discovered that several factors, aside from lowering exposure to cigarette smoke as well as causes of the common cold, can help lower risks for ear infections. One of this is breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding, according to Chonmaitree, is believed to help by giving children antibodies that could help lower the risks of infection. This, according to Dr. Mark R. Schleiss, director of pediatric infectious diseases and immunology at the University of Minnesota, could be used by mothers to their advantage, along with letting their child receive Prevnar 13, the pneumococcal vaccine.
"I would say to parents (that) the things that you can do, and this study confirms it, to decrease the risk of ear infection in your child are simple and not terribly expensive and they have a big impact," said Schleiss, who was not involved in the study.
