What about people who are about to marry, do they inquire about the t0-be spouse’s medical history?
Doubtful. But important. Yes, it is important to know your family history. Best to know and accept it before you see it versus realized when you see it realized through your children.
For example:; do you have any family with early ear infections?
“Ear infections can be one of the most painful ailments for children and disorienting for parents as well that are not sure what is happening to their offspring when they are crying, complaining and obviously hurting. However there is some good news. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been a 30% drop in doctor visits related to ear infection over the past 15 years.
“Researchers suggest a decline in smoking by parents might be part of the reason. Scientists at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts say fewer people smoke, which means less carcinogens irritation of children’s airways. In children, the ear is more directly connected to the back of the nose, so infections in a child’s nose and throat can easily trigger ear inflammation. Cigarette smoke, inhaled through a child’s nose, can trigger the same kind of irritation and swelling.
“Among sociodemographic subgroups, smoking prevalence is expected to decrease by up to 20% among men, to 23% among women, to 25% among blacks, and to 21% among whites in the next few years. Between 1974 and 1985, approximately 1.3 million persons per year became former smokers, indicating considerable success in public health efforts to encourage people to stop smoking.
“Another reason doctors say the decline in ear infections may be due to the growing use of a vaccine against the bacteria that cause them. It is estimated that children with recurrent ear infections who are vaccinated will have about a 10%-20% lower chance of having recurrent ear infections or tube placement.
“Prevnar, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February of 200, may also reduce the number of ear infections a child has in children with a history of recurrent ear infections. Although often thought of by parents as the ear infection vaccine, it is not yet approved by the FDA for this indication specifically however.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for the prevention of pneumococcal infections with Prevnar includes the routine use of Prevnar for all children 23 months and younger, and for children aged 24-59 months who are at high risk, including children with an immune deficiency, sickle cell disease, asplenia (children without a working spleen), HIV infection, chronic cardiac conditions, chronic lung problems (including asthma), cerebrospinal fluid leaks, chronic renal insufficiency (including nephrotic syndrome) , diabetes mellitus, and children who are receiving immunosuppresive therapy (organ transplants, etc.).
The AAP does not recommend routine use in children who are only at moderate risk of infection, including all children aged 24-35 months old, and children aged 36-59 months who attend daycare or who are of Native-American, Alaskan-native, or African-American descent.
Still others think increased breast-feeding is protecting more children. Breast milk is rich in antibodies. Even though breast milk is known for being nutritionally-perfect, perhaps the most amazing characteristic about breast milk is its ability to fight off and protect babies from illness. In fact, some have said that the antibodies in breast milk make it more like human blood since they both contain white blood cells.
Inflammation in the middle ear area is known as otitis media. When referring to an ear infection, doctors most likely mean “acute otitis media” rather than the common ear infection called swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa.
Acute otitis media is the presence of fluid, typically pus, in the middle ear with symptoms of pain, redness of the eardrum, and possible fever.
Click HERE for a plethora of articles from the CDC about ear infections, prevention, research and treatment.
Written by Sy Kraft, B.A.
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