Health
Frequent ear infections in childhood linked to asthma
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 24, 2004
Children with a history of several ear infections are twice as likely to develop asthma as children who did not have such infections, according to finding published in the May issue of Chest.
Researchers at the University of Illinois, Chicago, analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey looking at the association of ear infections to asthma or wheezing. They found that children who had never had an ear infection had an asthma rate of more than 6%, but more than 12% of those with a history of at least three such infections had the respiratory disease.
The authors of the paper theorized that either the bacteria or viruses causing the infections or the medications used to treat them could be causing asthma, and that the theory deserves additional study.
"It is possible that specific virus or bacteria that cause recurrent ear infections may play a major role in the development of asthma," said Kamal Eldeirawi, lead author and visiting research specialist in epidemiology and biostatistics. "It is also possible that antibiotics that are commonly used to treat ear infections increase the risk of asthma, but more research is needed."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/05/24/hlbf0524.htm.
