Vogazianos, Paris

2007-12-01, Vogazianos, Paris, Vogazianos, Ermis, Janeček, Dalibor, Šlapák, Ivo, Fiala, Jindřich, Vogazianos, Ermis

This study was designed to examine whether atopy is associated with acute otitis media (AOM). Material and methods: The study was performed with the help of a questionnaire handed out to the parents of 262 children, all residents of Brno, who attended our department for adenoidectomy. The questionnaire was designed to establish any history of atopy and / or AOM in each child, as well as any family history of atopy. The information was compared to the existing data in our database of medical records. The children with one or more AOM events were used as the study group and the children with no AOM infections as a control group. The incidence of atopy in each of these two groups was then statistically analysed. The history of atopy in the family was also compared in each of these two groups. Results: No significant difference was found in the incidence of atopy when children with AOM and children without AOM episodes were compared. Furthermore, no significant difference was found in the family history of atopy, when children with AOM and children without AOM episodes were compared. Conclusion: Our data have shown no connection between AOM episodes and atopy incidence in children or their families, thus atopy or family history of atopy do not seem to play any role in the incidence of AOM.

2007-12-01, Vogazianos, Paris, Vogazianos, Ermis, Fiala, Jindřich, Janeček, Dalibor, Šlapák, Ivo, Vogazianos, Ermis

Aim: We designed this study to assess the effect of breastfeeding and its duration on acute otitis media (AOM) in children of our geographical region. Our main aim was to determine the period of breastfeeding, necessary to achieve optimal preventive results against AOM. Methods: The children that, according to the questionnaire, had suffered AOM infections in the past were used as the study group with the rest of the children used as control. The duration of breastfeeding was divided into months and the odds ratios for the occurrence of AOM were calculated for the children breastfed for more than or equal to a certain period, compared to the children breastfed for less than that period. This was repeated for each month separately and the results plotted on a graph of the confidence interval (Cl) for the odds ratio values, against months of breastfeeding. Results: The results of our study show that breastfeeding for a period of up to 11 months can play a significant preventive role against AOM (odds ratio and lower 90% Cl >1). Breastfeeding for longer periods of time is also beneficial, with breastfeeding up to 18 months being associated with some preventive effect against the disease (odds ratio >1), but the reduction in the incidence of AOM is not statistically significant after the 11th month. Furthermore, there are marked differences in the importance of breastfeeding during the first 11 months, with a vital protective effect during the first 4 months of life which, however, drops by the 5th month and then rises again from the beginning of the 6th to the end of the 8th month. The protective effect then drops once more, although it remains positive and statistically significant until the 11th month of life and positive, but not statistically significant, until the 18th. Conclusion: Our study has revealed that for an optimal preventive effect to be achieved, the child should be breastfed for at least the first 11 months of its life. Continuing after this for up to the 18th month shows some preventive effect, which however is not statistically significant. Our results support the hypothesis that the importance of breastfeeding varies with the development of the child, its changing environment and to the new immunological challenges this brings.