Knowledgebase: Cough, Congestion, and Ears

Questions about the managment of coughs and congestion, as well as ear infections.

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8. What can I do to prevent ear infections? - Top

The main factors in determining whether or not your child will have ear infections are:

-the way he is put together
-daycare
-smoking in the household
-pneumococcal vaccine

As for the way your child is put together, that improves with time. Your baby may have narrow eustacian tubes that just dont work well (eustacian tube dysfunction). As he grows, he should have less and less infections (most adults rarely have ear infections).

As for daycare, it has been shown that as the number of children per caregiver/room increases, there is a sharp rise in the rate of infections at the magic number of 5 kids per room. Consider a setting where your child will be in a smaller group. Also review your daycare facility's policies on handwashing, exclusion of sick children, etc.

No smoking parent wants to listen to me when I tell them that their child is 4-5 times more likely to have infections than children in non-smoking homes. Parents have demanded tympanostomy tubes, while the exam room reeks from the smoke on their clothes. What more can I say.

The pneumococcal vaccine (Prevnar) may help your child have less ear infections- perhaps by 25 percent. Ask about it- it seems to be very safe. - Updated: March 9, 2001

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James L Horwitz, MD

David C. Thomas, MD

Barbara Lindberg, PNP