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 [log in to unmask]