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Habitual use of push and pull plastic bottle caps is more prevalent among children with recurrent acute otitis media

Sara Torretta1, Paola Marchisio, Maurizio Cappadona

  • 1Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, ENT Clinic, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. sara.torretta@gmail.com

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|June 4, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Habitual use of push-and-pull (P&P) plastic bottle caps was more common in children with recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM). This suggests P&P bottles may be a risk factor for RAOM, warranting further investigation.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Otolaryngology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM) is a common childhood illness.
  • Pacifier use has been linked to RAOM due to negative pressure mechanisms.
  • Push-and-pull (P&P) plastic bottle caps may also create negative nasopharyngeal pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of habitual P&P plastic bottle cap use in children with RAOM compared to healthy controls.
  • To determine if P&P bottle use is associated with a history of RAOM.

Main Methods:

  • A telephonic interview was conducted to assess P&P bottle cap usage.
  • The study included 57 Caucasian children, with 28 having a history of RAOM and 29 serving as controls.
  • Participants were matched for environmental risk factors for RAOM.

Main Results:

  • Habitual P&P bottle cap use was significantly more frequent in children with RAOM (50.0%) than in controls (24.2%).
  • Multivariate logistic regression confirmed a significant association between P&P bottle use and RAOM history (adjusted OR=4.0).
  • The association remained significant after adjusting for age (p<0.01).

Conclusions:

  • Preliminary data indicate a higher prevalence of P&P bottle cap use among children with RAOM.
  • P&P bottle use may be a risk factor for developing RAOM.
  • Larger studies are needed to confirm this association and identify at-risk age groups.
Abstract

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