EAR INFECTIONS Antibiotic use may be linked to repeat infections. THE QUESTION Do antibiotics have a lasting effect on children who take them for ear infections? THIS STUDY involved 168 children, 6 months to 2 years old, who had an ear infection (acute otitis media) treated, by random assignment, with amoxicillin (at a dose that varied by age and weight) or a placebo three times a day. In the next three years, 84 of the children had another ear infection. The researchers calculated that those who had taken amoxicillin were 2 1/2 times as likely as the others to have a recurrence. WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Infants and young children, for whom ear infections are one of the most commonly diagnosed illnesses. By age 3, an estimated 75 percent of all children have had at least one such infection. CAVEATS Recurrence rates were nearly identical for the first six months after the initial infection but increased in the amoxicillin group thereafter. Data on infections came from questionnaires completed by the children's parents. FIND THIS STUDY July 1 online issue of BMJ. LEARN MORE ABOUT otitis media www.nidcd.nih.gov/health and www.kidshealth.org/parents (search for 'middle ear infection'). The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals. Nonetheless, conclusive evidence about a treatment's effectiveness is rarely found in a single study. Anyone considering changing or beginning treatment of any kind should consult with a physician. 