Baby ear infection rates have dropped by almost 15 percent in the past two decades thanks to higher vaccination and breastfeeding rates as well as lower smoking rates, new research suggests.
After comparing data from the 1980s and 1990s to data from a new study conducted from Oct. 2009 to March 2014, researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston revealed that the rates of ear infection dropped 16 percent in 6-month-olds and 1-year-olds and 12 percent in 3-month-olds.
Study data revealed that ear infection rates dropped from 62 percent to 42 percent in 1-year-olds, from 39 percent to 23 percent in 6-month-olds and from 18 percent to 6 percent in 3-month-olds, according to researchers.
Lead researcher Tasnee Chonmaitree and her team followed 367 babies from less than one month after birth to one year after birth. For the study, researchers collected nose and throat mucus samples to identify signs of infections. They also collected participants' family history of ear infections and cigarette smoke exposure, as well as breast versus formula feeding. Researchers also asked that participants notify researchers whenever their baby showed any symptoms of ear infection or common colds.
"We clearly showed that frequent upper respiratory infections, carriage of bacteria in the nose, and lack of breastfeeding are major risk factors for ear infections," said Chonmaitree.
"Prolonged breastfeeding was associated with significant reductions in both colds and ear infections, which is a common complication of the cold," she added. "It is likely that medical interventions in the past few decades, such as the use of pneumonia and flu vaccines and decreased smoking helped reduce ear infection incidences."
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates that five out of six children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday. While they are common, they're not inevitable. Yearly flu vaccines and the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine can help prevent ear infections in children. Parents can also help protect their children against infections by keeping their kids away from cigarette smoke and washing hands frequently.
"Almost half of infants experienced acute otitis media by age 1," researchers wrote in the study. "Important AOM [acute otitis media] risk factors included frequent viral URI [upper respiratory tract infections], pathogenic bacterial colonization and lack of breastfeeding. Bacterial-viral interactions may play a significant role in acute otitis media pathogenesis and deserve further investigation."
The findings were published in the journal Pediatrics.
