Frequency and Risk Factors of Infantile Acute 0titis Media

Authors: Burhan TOPAL

Abstract: To find out the frequency and risk factors of infantile acute otitis media (AOM) in Ankara; computerized patient data from a pediatrician's private practice were evaluated retrospectively. 106 attacks of AOM in 70 of 442 infants were evaluated and compared with 55 healthy control infants who had experienced no AOM attacks in their first year of life. The attack rate of AOM in the first year of life was about 24 percent; 15.8% (70 of 442) of the infants had had AOM, it being more frequent, in the second half of the first year, irrespective of sex. With the exception of summer, when the incidence is low, AOM struck with almost the same frequency in other seasons. 27 of the 70 infants (39%) with AOM were exclusively breast-fed, which was significantly less than the controls (76%); 49 of them (70%) were exposed to passive smoking, compared with only 31% of the control infants (p<0.001); 49 of the infants in the study group were fed in the supine position versus 16% of the controls, this proving to be the most significant factor (p<0.0001) among other risk factors. lt should be stressed to families whose babies are breast-fed and exposed to passive smoking that cigarette smoking, a supine feeding position and shorter-duration breast-feeding can be harmful to the child.

Keywords: AOM: Acute symptomatic otitis media, OME: Otitis media with effusion