<s>[INST] What if my child has frequent middle ear infections? [/INST] Recurrent ear infections can be a problematic for both parent and child. A child is considered “otitis prone” when they have 3 ear infections within a 6 month period or 4 infections within a year.

Risk factors that may increase the frequency of ear infections include:

male gender
winter season
exposure to passive smoke
symptoms lasting longer than 10 days
The insertion of tympanostomy tubes (ear tubes) may be recommended in recurrent cases. While there are inherent risks with any surgical procedure, they are infrequent with ear tube insertion. The benefits of ear tubes include fewer ear infections and the ability to treat future infections with topical antibiotic therapy (ear drops) instead of oral drugs.

In July 2015, the FDA announced they were targeting 16 unapproved ear drop ingredients often used in infants and young children. These drugs, prescribed and sold for years to relieve ear pain and swelling, had not been evaluated for safety, quality and effectiveness. The agency notified the manufacturers to stop marketing the drops following reports of local allergic reactions of the ear, eye, face, neck and mouth. The drops can also cause itching, stinging, burning and irritation of the ear. Source: DRUGS.COM. Link: https://www.drugs.com/article/middle-ear-infections-children.html. Field: Otolaryngology. Disease: Ear Infection </s>