Otitis media is one of the most common diseases in pediatric ENT, second only to colds in frequency. According to statistics, three-quarters of young children experience at least one ear infection before the age of three, and nearly half of them may have three or more. It’s hard for parents to avoid the heartache of watching their babies tug at their ears and bawl. Pain is only part of the danger of otitis media. More seriously, frequent recurrence of otitis media can affect a child’s hearing, which can lead to impaired language development during the critical period when a child is learning to speak. For reasons beyond human control, otitis media cannot be completely eliminated. For example, multiple otitis media is hereditary and occurs more often in boys born in the fall. However, experts do tell us that most types of otitis media are completely preventable, and that the damage to your baby can be minimized by doing the following. Prevent and treat colds Many otitis media are caused by colds. This is closely related to the structure of a child’s ear. Children, especially young children under the age of 3, have not yet developed their ear structures well, especially the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the pharynx, is not only a connecting conduit, but also has the function of regulating the pressure in the middle ear cavity and draining secretions from the middle ear. The Eustachian tube of children is very different from that of adults. Not only is the morphology of the Eustachian tube not long and angular like that of adults, but it is short, wide and flat; and the position is low. When children suffer from respiratory infections, pathogenic bacteria can easily enter the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, causing otitis media. When a cold occurs, the irritation of the mucous membrane inside the nose leads to swelling of the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear, the throat and the nasal cavity, thus narrowing the internal pathway and decreasing the ability to drain accumulated fluid. When the ear is unable to eliminate the mucus caused by a cold in a timely manner, the ideal breeding ground for bacteria is formed there. According to experts, actively preventing colds or minimizing their cycle is the best measure to avoid middle ear infections in children. To do this, it is especially important to properly address the following: Keep your baby’s nasal passages as clean as possible. If your child’s age and ability allow, you should teach him to blow his nose regularly with a handkerchief or tissue; for younger children, you can use a medical ear bulb to suck mucus out of the nose. Doctors also recommend putting drops of laxative in your child’s nose to keep it clear. Use a spray humidifier in your child’s bedroom at night. Dry air can cause the nasal passages to become dry and even inflamed, causing the Eustachian tubes to become enlarged and blocked. Please note that the humidifier must be kept clean or it is likely to backfire. Alternatively, you can use a warm washcloth on your baby’s nose to reduce swelling and obstruction. If your baby has severe nasal congestion, sleep with his head elevated so that the mucus that accumulates in the nasal passages does not run down into the eustachian tubes. For babies up to one year old, you can cushion the head end of the crib with something like a phone book; for older children over one year old, you can cushion the head with a pillow that is a little thicker than usual. Many pediatricians recommend that parents give their children zinc supplements at the beginning of a cold. Although the theoretical aspect has not been fully confirmed, clinical experience shows that this method can alleviate some cold symptoms, the specific dosage is best to follow the doctor’s instructions. Getting vaccinated There is currently no dedicated otitis media vaccine in the world, but researchers have found two childhood vaccinations that help reduce the risk of contracting otitis media while preventing other illnesses. One of these is an updated pneumonia vaccine called Prevnar, which is not yet available domestically but is already in clinical use in the United States. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all young children under the age of 2 should receive this vaccine. Its primary use is to prevent pneumonia and meningitis, but it also reduces the recurrence of otitis media in children by about 20 percent. How does this vaccine work against otitis media? It turns out that 40% of otitis media is caused by the bacteria Pneumocystis carinii. Otitis media caused by these germs are often among the hardest to treat and the most difficult for antibiotics to work against, so many pediatricians believe that the introduction of this new vaccine is a huge step forward in the prevention of otitis media in young children. Another vaccine that can help prevent otitis media is the flu vaccine. The flu is an upper respiratory infection, and like the common cold, it can easily lead to other ear, nose and throat conditions, with otitis media being the most common. In fact, according to a newly published study in the United Kingdom, only one out of 1,070 young children who received the flu vaccine contracted otitis media; in contrast, 20 out of 532 young children who did not receive the flu vaccine contracted otitis media. Whether or not the flu vaccine, which is widely used in China, can be given to your child, you should still consult your doctor. Let the baby less pacifier Now many parents like to let the baby usually contain a pacifier in the mouth, this small props can let the child to keep quiet, but in fact will greatly increase the risk of children infected with otitis media. Studies have found that frequent sucking can cause germs to enter the Eustachian tube from the back of the nose, and no matter how advanced the technology of the pacifier you choose, it will inevitably increase your baby’s risk of contracting otitis media. In a recent Finnish study of children under the age of 18 months, researchers divided the children into two groups, one of which was allowed to use the pacifier at all times, while the other group reduced the time spent using the pacifier by 21%, and after a period of time, the latter group had a 29% lower rate of otitis media infections than the former. In particular, it should be noted that pacifier use should be avoided as much as possible unless the baby is going to sleep soon. Sucking on a pacifier can help a baby fall asleep as quickly as possible, and the sucking action is lessened when the baby falls asleep. However, the situation is different when the baby is awake, and its lung capacity is much greater than when it falls asleep, so using a pacifier during the day can greatly increase the risk of contracting otitis media. Stay away from secondhand smoke According to the latest research, inhaling secondhand smoke increases the rate of otitis media infection in young children by 19%, and as many as 1.2 million young children develop otitis media each year as a result of secondhand smoke. According to a Canadian study, young children who were exposed to their parents’ secondhand smoke every day before the age of 3 had more than twice the rate of frequent otitis media than other children of the same age. Experts believe that the odor of cigarettes can irritate a child’s delicate nose and throat, making it easier for germs to survive and multiply in these two areas, thus lowering resistance and making it easier for infection to occur once the germs enter the middle ear. Therefore, if you or your family members are addicted to smoking, now you have the best reason to quit – for the sake of your baby’s health. Adjusting sleeping position – supine or sideways Recently, researchers at the Toronto School of Medicine announced that in addition to avoiding Sudden Neonatal Death Syndrome (SNDS), having babies sleep on their backs or sides has another important implication – a reduction in the risk of middle ear infections. According to the study, the rate of otitis media infection was 1/3 lower in children who slept in these two positions than in those who slept in other positions. experts believe that sleeping on the back and on the side increases the swallowing movement of children during sleep, which promotes the drainage of mucus from the middle ear, reducing the chance of germs staying in the middle ear and lowering the risk of infection.