Ear Infections - Risk Factors

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Parental Behavior

The behavior of parents can increase a child's risk for otitis media.

• Parents who smoke pose a significant risk for both otitis media with effusion (OME) and recurrent acute otitis media (AOM) in their children. (Passive smoking does not appear to be a cause of initial ear infections, however.)
• Pregnant women who drink alcohol put their babies at risk for birth defects that can cause hearing loss and OME, among other problems.
• Babies who are bottle-fed may have a higher risk for otitis media than breastfed babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least the baby's first 6 months.
• Several studies have found that the use of pacifiers place children at even higher risk for ear infections. Sucking increases production of saliva, which helps bacteria travel up the Eustachian tubes to the middle ear.

Review Date: 03/02/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital

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