Due to swimming in contaminated water or force-feeding, ear infections can be caused by several innocuous everyday activities. Understanding the causes, symptoms and possible interventions can help parents deal effectively with this common childhood problem Ear infections are common in infants with 75 percent suffering at least one infection before the age of three, making it one of the most frequently occurring afflictions of early childhood. While older child may be able to vocalise ear pain, toddlers are unable to express themselves other than with non-stop wailing. Some infants may pull or tug at the ear and parents may discover the problem by touching the ear and discern if it aggravates pain. Fever may or may not be a symptom. When no cause can be found it would be advisable to consult a paediatrician. Most ear infections start innocuously. Viruses usually cause them, resulting in fever and a runny nose for hours or days before excruciating pain sets in. Later, there may be local visible signs such as a watery or purulent discharge. The usual panacea is to drain the ear, but while this therapy may relieve pain, the infection may persist. It’s important to note that there is a connection between the nose, throat, and middle ear. As long as all connections are open and functioning well, there is little chance of an infection. But if any of them are blocked, pressure and secretions build up behind the eardrum causing tension and swelling. If these secretions remain stagnant in the middle ear, they can become secondarily infected with bacteria. Causes Some children develop recurrent ear infections because they are fed in a prone, lying down position. For instance, bottle-fed infants are often put to sleep with the bottle in their mouths. Apart from the feeding position, bottle-fed formula milk could cause ear infection. Breast milk on the other hand contains protective immunoglobulins. Consequently infants exclusively breastfed for the first six months are less likely to develop ear infections. • Parents also tend to entertain unrealistic expectations of the amount of food children should eat. Frustrated parents often force-feed solids to an uncooperative child while she is in a lying down position. Food particles can enter the eustachian tube connecting the throat and ear resulting in blockage of the passage which could cause an infection. • Passive exposure to cigarette smoke also increases the chance of ear contagion by 50 percent. Unless the adult smoker quits, children will remain susceptible to recurrent ear infections. • Most secondary bacterial infections including of the ear are caused by the pneumococcal and H Influenzae group of bacteria. Hib and pneumococcal vaccines should be administered to children, together with triple antigen to reduce the number and frequency of ear illnesses. • Swimming in contaminated water can cause painful ‘swimmer’s ear’ i.e, ‘otitis externa’ an infection of the external ear canal. This condition is different from ‘otitis media’ or middle ear infection. Ear infections are also caused by bathing in a basin or tub and…
