Why are middle-ear infections so common in babies and toddlers?
There are several factors that make children between three months and 3 years of age easy targets. • Their immune systems aren’t yet mature enough to defend against colds and other viral infections. • Their eustachian tubes tend to be short and somewhat horizontal (in adults, its longer and more vertical), so it’s easy for germs to travel from the nose or throat into the middle ear. • Their eustachian tubes also ten to be narrow, so even a small amount of swelling in response to a cold or other respiratory illness can trap fluid in the middle ear and create a breeding ground for bacteria. What are the risk factors for ear infections? • Gender. Boys have more infections than girls do. • Ethnic background. Caucasian and Native American children have higher rates of OM than children from other ethnic groups do. • Age of onset. The younger a child is when an ear infection first develops, the more likely he or she will have repeated infections. • Tobacco smoke. Children exposed to second-ha
