Study Says Child Ear Infections Not Helped Much by Antibiotics

by Kathy Jones on  November 18, 2010 at 8:56 PM Child Health News
  •   Print
  •   Share
  •   Comments
  •  Text 
A new study has said that using antibiotics to treat ear infections in children is only slightly more effective than offering no treatment at all.

Infections of the middle ear are the most common childhood infection for which antibiotics are prescribed in the United States, said the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A 2006 study showed that an average of 350 dollars per child is spent on treating such ear infections, known as acute otitis media (AOM), for a total of 2.8 billion dollars spent per year.

But giving young ones the drugs offered only minimal benefits.

"Our findings reinforce the existing knowledge that the best antibiotic treatment for common childhood ear infections may be no antibiotic treatment at all," said lead author of the study Tumaini Coker.

"Of 100 average-risk children with AOM, approximately 80 would likely get better within about three days without antibiotics," the study said.

If all 100 were given an antibiotic, 92 would "likely improve," but other painful side effects would pop up, like a rash in three to 10 of those children and diarrhea in five to 10 of them, it said.

"Clinicians need to weigh these risks (including possible long-term effects on antibiotic resistance) and benefits before prescribing immediate antibiotics for uncomplicated AOM," the study authors said.

The study took place over 10 years and was carried out by researchers from the Southern California Evidence Based Practice Center.

The study examined previously published research at the request of the American Academy of Pediatrics as part of its effort to update practice guidelines for treating ear infections in young children.

Source-AFP

 Email Email   RSS Feeds RSS Feeds   Print this page Print   Save this page Save   Link Link   Syndicate Syndicate   Comments Comments   Bookmark and Share
 
Comment & Contribute
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters

Notify me when reply is posted
I agree to the terms and conditions
  
If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
X
  • Health News Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
  • News Quick Links
News Central Health Watch
Latest Health News Health In Focus
News Category (500+) Breaking Health News
Popular News Celebrating Life
Health News and Press Release Medindia - Exclusive
News Photo Gallery India Special
News Video Gallery Lifestyle and Wellness
News From Other Resources
News Categories:  
Sexual Health Center

Child Health Related News

» Obesity Raises Cranial Disorder In Kids That May Cause Blindness » Study Says Babies Learn from 'Just Right' Experiences
» Study Says Softening Agent Used in PVC Floor Materials Increases Risk of Asthma and Allergies in Infants » Childhood Wheezing Not Linked to Viral Infections in Infancy
» Letting Infants Cry Could Prove Detrimental to Health » Investigate Crib Deaths, Orders Bengal Government
» C-section Doubles Childhood Obesity Risk » Weight Loss May Improve Sleep-disordered Breathing in Obese Kids
Read More >>