[Manner of birth and otitis media].
BACKGROUND
There are many risk factors associated with the occurrence of otitis media; cesarean section could be one of them.


METHODS
Two hundred and eighty four children were treated during the first three years of life by the same pediatric service. 47% of these children were treated for otitis media and 53% were not. 41% were delivered by cesarean section, and 59% were vaginal births. The incidence of otitis media in the cesarean section group was 0.504, versus 0.449 in the vaginal birth group.


RESULTS
These data indicate that the fraction of risk of having otitis media that is attributable to cesarean section is 11%; the relative risk is 1.12.


CONCLUSIONS
The observed effect is not large enough to confirm that cesarean section is a risk factor, but suggests that a carefully controlled prospective study should be conducted.
Mansfield
C J
CJ
Ecole des Sciences Paramédicales, Faculté de Médecine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858.
Daniel
H J
HJ
Sumpter
E A
EA
Barnes
J
J
Coggins
D
D
Young
M
M
D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
Mode de naissance et otite muqueuse.