New Relief for Children's Ear Infections

Ear infections are the most common ailment in infants and children up to age 6, accounting for 25 million doctors' visits annually, and $2 billion to $3 billion in medical bills and medication. About 80 percent of all children will have an ear infection before their second birthday, and many suffer from multiple infections, pediatricians say.

What causes ear infections?

An ear infection is the inflammation of the middle ear, the grape-sized cavity just behind the eardrum. Bacteria and viruses enter the middle ear through the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the throat and nose. The buildup of pus and fluid in the middle ear causes pain, and can lead to temporary hearing loss. Chronic infections can stunt a child's language and speech development. But the vaccine Prevnar® is used routinely during the first two years of life.

The vaccine protects children against the seven strains of the pneumococcus bacteria most common in the United States. Pneumococcal disease causes 7 million ear infections annually, according to Kaiser Permanente, a nonprofit health care organization in California that did a three-year trial on the vaccine involving 38,000 children.

"Needless to say, we are all excited about the vaccine. It just gives us another way to battle the infection," said Dr. Seth Pransky, a pediatric specialist in ear, nose and throat disorders at Children's Hospital in San Diego.

Pransky and other doctors say the vaccine not only fights ear infections, but also protects your child from sinus infections and serious illnesses such as pneumonia and bacterial meningitis that are caused by pneumococcus.

Antibiotics have been the first line of defense against bacterial infections for years, but experts are now questioning the long-term effects. They caution that the continued use of antibiotics is creating drug-resistant bacteria.

"Parents need to know that when they go to the doctor, they can't expect to get antibiotics" in all cases when their child's ears may appear red, says Dr. Richard Lichenstein, director of the pediatric emergency department at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some children may simply have fluid behind the middle ear, not an infection, so antibiotics may not be always helpful.

Not a cure all

Studies show children are at high risk for ear infections if they are bottle fed, attend day care, or are exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke. Talk to your pediatrician, particularly if your child has persistent ear infections, but also understand that the vaccine is not a universal cure. Many different bacteria and viruses are responsible for ear infections - pneumococcus bacteria cause only 40 percent, Pransky says.

Getting vaccinated also will not replace the need for surgical implantation of tubes to drain fluid from the middle ear, Pransky says. Some 1.5 million people, mostly children, undergo that operation annually. The vaccine, however, may lower this need.

Related Articles Is Your Child Adequately Immunized to Begin School?

External Source American Academy of Pediatrics

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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