A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY ON BREAST-FEEDING AND OTITIS-MEDIA IN SWEDISH INFANTS

This study analyzed the effect of breast-feeding on the frequency of a cute otitis media. The protocol was designed to examine each child at 2, 6 and 10 months of age. At each visit nasopharyngeal cultures were obtained, the feeding pattern was recorded and the acute otitis media (AOM) episodes were documented. The analysis was based on 400 children from whom complete information was obtained. They represented 83% of the newborns in the study areas. By 1 year of age 85 (21%) children ha d experienced 111 AOM episodes; 63 (16%) had 1 and 22 (6%) had 2 or mo re episodes. The AOM frequency was significantly lower in the breast-f ed than in the non-breast-fed children in each age group (P < 0.05). T he first AOM episode occurred significantly earlier in children who we re weaned before 6 months of age than in the remaining groups. The fre quency of nasopharyngeal cultures positive for Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae was significantly higher in children with AOM. At 4 to 7 and 8 to 12 months of age, the AOM frequency was significantly higher in children with day-care conta ct and siblings (P < 0.05 and < 0.01, respectively). The frequency of upper respiratory tract infections was increased in children with AOM but significantly reduced in the breast-fed group.