There are many articles that state  breastfeeding decreases the incidence of
otitis media, but I have not read any articles that  really explain why.  To
appreciate this statement, you need to have some knowledge of the muscles at
the back of the throat and the position of the eustachian tube!

You need to know the origin, insertion, function and path of the following
muscles:  Tensor palatini, Levator palatini, Salpingo-pharyngeus,
Palato-glossal, Palato-pharyngeus, and Superior constrictors.

You need to know the function of  the eustachian (auditory) tube and the
difference in its location at birth and as an adult.

References you can go to can be found in most medical libraries -
Cunningham's Textbook of Anatomy, Gray's Anatomy, Grant's Atlas of Anatomy,
Netter's Atlas of Anatomy.

The more you understand the above the more you will comprehend my
presentation at the ILCA conference this July.  I challenge you to further
research this topic!

"We only see what we know, therefore we must know to serve."

Brian Palmer DDS
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