Effective in about 80 percent of cases, the tubes keep the air in the middle ear circulating and help prevent the accumulation of fluid. They usually fall out on their own within 9 to 15 months. In some cases, they need to be removed by the doctor. The greatest disadvantage, however, is that they have to be surgically inserted, a procedure that requires general anesthesia. If you have one child who consistently suffers from ear infections, your other children are likely to as well.
Boys also tend to get more infections than girls.
And those who drink while lying down or who fall asleep with their bottles are at particular risk, since milk can drain through the eustachian tube and into the middle ear, where it can become a perfect medium for bacteria. Nor is it advisable to prop a bottle on a pillow and leave your baby unattended while he drinks. You can reduce the chance of infection by holding your baby upright when you feed him. Some experts believe the constant sucking motion may pull fluid out from the nose and throat and into the middle ear. Pacifiers can also be carriers for germs, so if your child has already had several ear infections, you may want to take the pacifier away.