HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Association between Early Childhood Otitis Media and Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Explor

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/24/2012 10:29 AM (GMT 0)
Great,granddaughter had lots of early ear infections early on,but so do a million other kids.

Old Mike

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23084703

Posted 10/24/2012 1:18 PM (GMT 0)
I had a lot of EIs and a lot of strep so was on abx a lot. My son got tubes at 20 months after he'd had his 6th EI in 5 or so months. His pedi and the ENT left it up to us whether or not we wanted to do tubes, since his always cleared with a round of abx, but I didn't see the point in continuing the cycle and exposing him to abx more than necessary when a simple surgery could fix the problem.

At any rate, we always mega-dose him with probiotics when he's on abx, so hopefully that will make a difference.

And this is somewhat OT, but for other parents of young kiddos out there, there's some new research showing that most EIs clear in the same amount of time whether abx are used or not. Apparently, a lot of EIs are viral. Too bad I didn't know this a few years ago. If baby girl ends up getting EIs like my son did, we'll ask for the numbing drops to help with pain and see what happens before going the abx route.
Posted 10/24/2012 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
That, I can honestly say, I didn't have. I do remember the one I did when I was around 5...the pain.

My nieces and nephews had lots of ear infections and on antibiotics. no UC or any bowel issues as of yet. But no bowel issues on their side of the family except IBS.

q
Posted 10/24/2012 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
Pain is indeed the issue with otitis-- makes babies cry nonstop. BTW, Fruitgirl-- you found out gender recently? / Old Hat (32 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 10/24/2012 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
Old Hat, yes, we found out about a week and a half ago that baby is a girl! I'm 21 weeks today and am not sure how the time is going by so quickly! While I would have been perfectly content to have another boy, I'm really excited to have a girl! My son was really excited too; he's said all along he hoped he'd have a sister.

Anyway, yeah, it's no fun having a baby/toddler with an EI. My son barely slept or ate when he had one. Once he was on abx he'd get better very fast, but viral EIs tend to clear relatively quickly, so who knows if it was a bacterial EI clearing due to the abx or a viral EI clearing just because. It's definitely frustrating and hard to know what's best when it comes to treating them in the littles.
Posted 10/24/2012 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, Fruitgirl, that IS definitely exciting news!!!! Also, the fact that you're more than halfway to delivery, yay! Back on otitis (apologies, Old Mike) : it's additionally hard to decide on treatment because repeat infections can affect hearing & then speech development. My neighbor's 4 yr-old grandson got tubes for that reason. / Old Hat (32 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 10/24/2012 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Old Hat. :)

That's another reason we went for tubes. My son was 20 months when we got the tubes, so at a really important age for language development. The procedure literally takes all of 15 minutes, if not less and is a very light sedation because it's so quick. If baby girl ends up having several EIs in a row, we'll for sure do tubes again, even if they're thought to be "just" viral.
Posted 10/25/2012 5:58 AM (GMT 0)
Measles is "just viral" and can cause serious inflammation and deafness.

I don't know much about tubes, but I've heard about many kids who have had them because of constant inflammation/fluid.

Congratulations on your soon to be born daughter.
q
Posted 10/25/2012 12:24 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting. I also had many ear infections and rounds of antibiotics as a child. After I had my tonsils removed I was ok. Then, in adulthood, my UC emerged after a round of broad spectrum antibiotics for a gum infection. I have read other research that links antibiotic use in childhood to IBD I am fairly certain that antibiotics are part of my problems.

Congratulations about your little girl fruitgirl. A very exciting time for you. Your son's antibiotic use must be a small worry for you. Its seems as if you handled it as best you could given your information and choices.....in my experience much of parenthood is like this.

jo
Posted 10/25/2012 12:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, everyone!

Yeah, Joma, I'm not happy about the antibiotic use, but there was also no way we'd have gotten tubes after just one or two EI's. At least now I know to push for the pain relief drops before using abx. And I might get an otoscope so I can take a look at things at home, so I can track if it's getting better worse.

quincy, I think you perhaps misunderstood my "just" viral. It was out of frustration, that there's no easy way to know if an EI is bacterial or viral, and that either way, it causes a crapton of pain and possible complications. So as a parent, it's hard to know what to do to treat it -- if it's viral, you don't want to give your kiddo unnecessary abx, but if it is bacterial, you need to give abx.
Posted 10/25/2012 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
^^^  I understood...but  was meaning the sometimes doc's perspective and many perspectives on "just viral"...I would assume if it looks bad/red/inflamed, then best to use antibiotics. Probiotics are a good investment during those times.

Some kids are more prone to ear problems as well it seems...

Maybe at first sign of ear rubbing, using drops such as Polysporin eye/ear for a day or two (they changed the packaging that reads Pink Eye, but does say on the instructions that it can be used for ears too).

q
Posted 10/25/2012 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think that polysporin eye/ear drops are sold in the US. Besides, unless there are tubes in the ear, abx drops won't reach the infection, as the infection is in the middle ear. The pain relief drops work, though, as they don't have to reach the infection.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply