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Exclusive breastfeeding protects against bacterial colonization and day care exposure to otitis media

L C Duffy1, H Faden, R Wasielewski

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14209, USA.

Pediatrics
|April 3, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Exclusive breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk of acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME) in infants. Not being breastfed, early pathogen colonization, and day care increase the likelihood of these ear infections.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME) are common childhood infections.
  • Breastfeeding and environmental factors are suspected to influence the incidence of these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and other environmental exposures with AOM and OME in infants.
  • To identify modifiable risk factors for middle ear infections in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 306 infants followed from birth.
  • Data collected on breastfeeding exclusivity, parental smoking, day care, and family history.
  • Tympanometry, otoscopy, and nasopharyngeal cultures used for diagnosis and pathogen detection.

Main Results:

  • Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months reduced the risk of AOM/OME by twofold compared to formula-feeding.
  • Formula-feeding was the strongest predictor of middle ear infections.
  • Early colonization with middle ear pathogens and day care were significant competing risk factors.

Conclusions:

  • Not being breastfed, early age at pathogen colonization (<=3 months), and day care outside the home are modifiable risk factors for AOM and OME.
  • Breastfeeding, even for short durations, reduces the onset of infant ear infections.
Abstract

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