Antibiotics best treatment for toddlers with ear infections

Study: Antibiotics best treatment for toddlers with ear infections

Researchers warned the results of the study should be weighed against the side effects of antibiotics and the potential for the development of antibiotic resistance.
Source: (AHN) Reporter: David Goodhue
Location: Washington, DC, United States Published: January 13, 2011 08:36 am EST


Results of a federal study suggest antibiotics are the most effective treatment for middle-ear infections in young children.


National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases researchers said most children diagnosed with ear infections in the United States are treated with antibiotics. But some doctors treat children with mild infections with a wait-and-see approach.

And in Europe, many doctors keep a watch on children with ear infections instead of prescribing antibiotics for every degree of severity out of concern about the overuse of antibiotics.

The researchers assigned 291 children between 6 and 23 months of age with acute middle ear infections either an antibiotic or a placebo for 10 days. The children receiving the antibiotic had a significant reduction in both severity and duration of their symptoms compared with those in the placebo group.

The researchers warned, however, that the results of the study should be weighed against the side effects of antibiotics and the potential for the development of antibiotic resistance.

A report on the study appears in the Jan. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine