Antibiotics Do Not Prevent Fluid Buildup In Children's Ear Infections

Medical News Today: "Antibiotics are not linked to a significant decrease in fluid buildup in the ear when administered to children with middle ear infections. This is the conclusion of a meta-analysis of previous studies released on February 18, 2008 in the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

In infants and children, one of the most prevalent diseases is the ear infection. Otitis media, or a middle ear infection, can lead to fluid buildup in the middle ear, developing into acute otitis media with effusion. According to the authors, this can be detrimental to development. 'The effusion may lead to a conductive hearing loss of 15 decibels to 40 decibels, and this hearing loss could have an adverse effect on language development, cognitive development, behavior and quality of life.'"