If you are a parent, you have likely experienced the helplessness and frustration of your little one suffering from an ear infection. You’re not alone; ear infection or otitis media (OM) is the most common reason for visits to the pediatrician's office. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, about 62% of children will have their first ear infection by age one and more than 80% by the age of three.
A common treatment for ear infections is antibiotics, usually amoxicillin. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (December, 1991), amoxicillin with and without decongestant anti-histamine combination is NOT effective for persistent asymptomatic middle ear effusions (fluid) in infant and children. In fact, occurrence of fluid in the ear was two to six times greater after the administration of amoxicillin! Additionally, the over use and over prescription of antibiotics...