Here I am with a rather bizarre post, but one that may help several of you.
I have had great success with helping moms and babies who are prone to ear
infections with xylitol. This is relevant bec babies with otitis media are
often cranky and go on nursing strikes. If anyone wants more info on how to
get xylitol for babies, email me privately (no they don't chew gum).
Maximum Relevance:A novel use of xylitol sugar in preventing acute otitis
media [see comments]
Pediatrics 1998 Oct;102(4 Pt 1):879-84 (ISSN: 0031-4005)
Uhari M; Kontiokari T; Niemela M [Find other articles with these Authors]
Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
BACKGROUND: Xylitol, a commonly used sweetener, is effective in preventing
dental caries. As it inhibits the growth of pneumococci, we evaluated
whether xylitol could be effective in preventing acute otitis media (AOM).
DESIGN: Altogether, 857 healthy children recruited from day care centers
were randomized to one of five treatment groups to receive control syrup (n
= 165), xylitol syrup (n = 159), control chewing gum (n = 178), xylitol gum
(n = 179), or xylitol lozenge (n = 176). The daily dose of xylitol varied
from 8.4 g (chewing gum) to 10 g (syrup). The design was a 3-month
randomized, controlled trial, blinded within the chewing gum and syrup
groups. The occurrence of AOM each time the child showed any symptoms of
respiratory infection was the main outcome. RESULTS: Although at least one
event of AOM was experienced by 68 (41%) of the 165 children who received
control syrup, only 46 (29%) of the 159 children receiving xylitol syrup
were affected, for a 30% decrease (95% confidence interval [CI]:
4.6%-55.4%). Likewise, the occurrence of otitis decreased by 40% compared
with control subjects in the children who received xylitol chewing gum (CI:
10.0%-71.1%) and by 20% in the lozenge group (CI: -12.9%-51.4%). Thus, the
occurrence of AOM during the follow-up period was significantly lower in
those who received xylitol syrup or gum, and these children required
antimicrobials less often than did controls. Xylitol was well tolerated.
CONCLUSIONS: Xylitol sugar, when given in a syrup or chewing gum, was
effective in preventing AOM and decreasing the need for antimicrobials.
Comment in: Pediatrics 1998 Oct; 102(4 Pt 1):971-2; Comment in: Pediatrics
1998 Oct; 102(4 Pt 1):974-5
--Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, CHES, IBCLC [log in to unmask]
€€€INFANT CUISINE AND MOTHER CARE: LACTATION CONSULTING & PERINATAL CARE€€€
mom, wife, active UU church member, educator, lactation consultant,
homeschool mom, researcher, scientist, author, organic gardener,
photographer, wilderness adventurer, lapidary creator, lousy cleaner;)
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