RISK FACTORS FOR ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA DEVELOPMENT IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN DURING THE FIRST MONTHS OF LIFE

Abstract

Diagnosis of acute otitis media in infants is complicated due to few symptoms of clinical and laboratory manifestations dictating the need to find possible predictors of the disease. Material and methods. Peculiarities of maternal history, pregnancy course, delivery and the child anamnesis of 116 infants with acute otitis media in the first 4 months of life and 36 children without a history of otitis media in the same age period. Risk factors for acute otitis media were detected and stratified. Results. In the pregravid health status of the mother the most significant in terms of the risk of developing of otitis media in children in the first months of life are the presence of respiratory allergy (OR = 7,74; P = 0,014) and chronic infections of ENT organs (OR = 1,15; P = 0,022). In the prenatal period the risk of early manifestations of the first episode of otitis media in a child increases obesity during pregnancy (OR = 11,78, p<0,000), waterless period of more than 8 hours (OR = 8,60, p<0,000), TORCH and urogenital infections in the mother (OR = 7,29, P = 0,028). Formula (OR = 4,20, p = 0,004) and mixed (P = 0,008) feeding in the postnatal period and the male sex (58,6%) of the child are also associated with an increased risk of developing otitis media. For this age group otitis media was characterized by a high association with ARI (99,1%). Conclusion. We have identified risk factors of otitis media in infants and children during the first months of life allow us to form a high-risk group for development of this disease.