PARENTAL SMOKING AND RISK OF OTITIS-MEDIA IN PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN

This study was designed to estimate the role of passive smoking in the occurrence of repeated acute otitis media among pre-school children. The parents of 918 children, who were part of a birth cohort, were int erviewed when the children were four years old. The frequency of episo des of otitis media was determined, as well as the age at which the fi rst such episode occurred. Information about smoking in the home had b een obtained when the child was two weeks old and again at 6, 12, 18 a nd 40 months of age. In all, 119 mothers (13%) smoked at least: 20 cig arettes a day on average, 205 (22%) smoked less than 20, and 533 (65%) stated that they did not smoke at all. Children of mothers who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day were at significantly increased risk of having four or more episodes acute otitis media: relative risk (RR) = 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-3.0 and of having their first episode earlier in life RR = 1.3 (CI = 1.0-1.8), after adjustment. Mo reover, the risk of recurrent (greater than or equal to four episodes) otitis media increases with the amount of cigarettes smoked. These fi ndings clearly strengthen the case for persuading parents not to smoke in the presence of young children.