TUESDAY, June 21, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Children who suffer frequent ear infections have more potentially infectious bacteria and fewer protective bacteria in their noses than other children, says a Georgetown University School of Medicine study.
Researchers compared the presence of potentially infectious bacteria and protective bacteria in samples taken from the back of the noses of 20 ear infection-prone children and their nonsmoking parents, and 20 ear infection-prone children and their smoking parents.
The study found that smoking parents had 14 potential pathogens and their children had 17, while nonsmoking parents had three potential pathogens and their children had 16 potential pathogens. The researchers noted 58 instances of bacterial interference against potential pathogens in smoking parents and 55 instances in their children, compared to 129 instances in nonsmoking parents and 55 instances in their children.
"A high recovery rate of potential pathogens and a low number of interfering organisms were observed in OMP [otitis media-prone] children," the study authors wrote.
"This was not related to their parents' smoking habits. The posterior nasopharynx flora of smoking parents contained more pathogens similar to the ones recovered from OMP children and fewer interfering organisms than nonsmoking parents," the authors wrote.
The study appears in the June issue of the journal Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery.
More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about ear infections.
