OTITIS-MEDIA IN A POPULATION OF BLACK-AMERICAN AND WHITE AMERICAN INFANTS, 0-2 YEARS OF AGE

To determine the incidence of otitis media (OM) and the bacteriology o f acute otitis media (AOM) in a clinic population of young children in Pittsburgh, 138 black infants and 60 white infants were followed from birth tb 2 years of age, examined at monthly intervals and whenever a n upper respiratory tract infection (URI) or OM intervened. By 24 mont hs of age the cumulative incidence of episodes of AOM was 43% and 42%, and of episodes of middle-ear effusion (MEE) was 86% and 85% in black and white infants, respectively. The average rate of episodes of AOM was 0.41 and 0.39 and of episodes of MEE was 1.68 and 1.70 in black an d white infants, respectively. Tympanocentesis was performed for episo des of AOM and the following organisms were isolated from black and wh ite infants, respectively: Streptococcus pneumoniae 43% and 43% of epi sodes; Moraxella catarrhalis 24% and 24%; non-typable Haemophilus infl uenzae 18% and 24%; and Haemophilus influenzae type b 5% and 0%. In bo th black and white infants first born children had less ear disease. W e found no difference in the incidence of otitis media during the firs t 2 years of life between black and white infants.