Kathy Birt posted on a baby whose mother was told ear infections could
result from feeding in the side-lying position.
This is just an anecdote, but it refers to at least ten episodes of acute,
recurrent ear infections in the same child, my daughter, from when she was 6
to 18 months old.  She always got them worse in the same ear, the ear that
was down when she nursed in bed with me at night, which she did a lot.  She
never had fluid behind her eardrums between episodes, always recovered
completely and about a week after finishing antibiotics, was febrile with
ear pain and red eardrum on otoscopic exam.  Tubes were never discussed as
fluid was not the problem.  No one ever suggested feeding position as a
possible cause, but the infections stopped at the same time we stopped night
BF, when she was just over 18 months.  Some time later I made the connection
in my head, but couldn't test it as by then we were both sleeping at night.

She was learning to talk during this period, and her articulation was at the
level of most 4 or 5 year olds, so her hearing was adequate.  In fact, she
didn't start exhibiting signs of hearing impairment until her mid-teens, but
as I understand it, that kind of handicap is not related to patency of the
auditory canal.  ;-)

just my 10 ml worth
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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