title: Predisposing factors for acute otitis media in infancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Factors predisposing to acute otitis media (AOM) are not thoroughly understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study we prospectively investigated incidence rates and risk factors of AOM in a systematic sample of infants in a well-defined population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following interview soon after delivery in a representative sample of 1049 mother-infant pairs, information was collected 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after birth. Episodes of AOM were recorded as by parental reports of diagnosis made by a physician. AOM frequency was further analyzed against 21 social, maternal, paternal, prenatal, perinatal and infantile factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successful 12-month follow-up was achieved for 926/1049 infants (88.3%), of whom 265 (28.6%) were reported with episodes of AOM; 153 with a single, 55 with two, and 57 with three to six episodes (16.5%, 5.94%, and 6.16% respectively). Factors founded by multivariate analysis to predispose to AOM included presence of siblings (P<0.001), out-of-home daycare (P<0.001), ill health in pregnancy (P<0.01), and suboptimal breastfeeding (P<0.01). Multiple (3 or more) episodes were related to presence of siblings (P<0.0001), out-of-home daycare (P<0.001), ill health in pregnancy (P<0.001), and low parental education (P<0.001). 28 infants were hospitalized (10.6% of infants with AOM, 3.02% of the total cohort). Hospitalization was related to young maternal age (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings confirm the high morbidity of AOM during infancy and point to several infant- and family-related predisposing factors, some of which are liable to intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Greece.
authors.forename: Fani
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ladomenou
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kafatos
authors.forename: Yiannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tselentis
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galanakis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies