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No antibiotics for ear infections - Kids & Parenting - MSNBC.com

Source: iosh Author: Published date: 2007-08-28

Doctors: Skip antibiotics for child ear infections

'Watchful waiting' OK for common illness to avoid drug resistance

Gene J. Puskar / AP
Giancario Gemignani-Hernandez, 2, of Pittsburgh, has his ear examined by Dr. Alejandro Hoberman on Nov. 20 at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH - That familiar tug on his ear or restless night sleep is usually the sign that little Baedden Pollett has another ear infection. The 2?year-old has had more of them than his parents can count.

Sometimes, his doctor prescribes antibiotics. But in many cases, his parents have waited it out, using Tylenol, warm baths and some extra tender loving care to ease him through it. And he recovers on his own.

More than ever, many parents and doctors these days are taking a "watchful waiting" approach with children older than 2 who have ear infections, the most common childhood illness. Many are foregoing antibiotics because of worries about drug resistance and evidence that most ear infections will heal on their own.

"My experience is that parents are often the driving motive behind not giving antibiotics. Parents are very, very concerned about the use of antibiotics," said Dr. Richard Rosenfeld, director of pediatric otolaryngology at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn and a consultant who helped write national guidelines on antibiotic use for ear infections.

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