DETERMINANTS OF ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA IN INFANTS

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the relationship of acute otitis media with mode of feeding (bottle-or breast-fed) andwith different positions of infant during feeding. Study design: Case control study Subjects and methods: Babies aged up to 24 months (62 cases, 6 6 controls) were selected from the OPDof Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi. The variables considered were the genderof the infant, mother’s educational level and occupation, mode of feeding and the different positions duringfeeding. SPSS version 11.5 was used for descriptive and inferential analysis. Results: There was a significant association of otitis media with lying position ofbaby during feeding (OR37.7, 95 % CI 13.34-106.43, p< 0.001), bottle feeding (OR 3.0, 95%CI 1.43-6.25, p = 0.003), working mother(OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.38-10.34, p = 0.007) and education of mother (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.01-4.24,p = 0.044). Conclusion: Babies with acute otitis media were more likely to be bottle fed and having a lying postureduring the feeding than babies without having acute otitis media.

Keywords

• acute otitis
• bottle feed
• breast feed
• infants