In a message dated 96-12-27 14:41:51 EST, you write:
<< I was wondering about the sleep patterns of the baby.  I find in
 babies that have multiple ear infections a tendency to feed often
 during the night.  I think these babies get a major portion of their
 feeding lying flat on their backs.  >>

This is purely anectdotal, based only on my own experience.  I have 5
children.  All of them have slept with me and all of them have been frequent
night nursers well past their second birthday.  My fourth child had ear
infections in both ears once at age 10 months.  My fifth child had frequent
ear infection in his first 6 months, but he wasa  failure to thrive baby and
I was bottle feeding (EBM) him to get enough measured milk into him to
assure his weight gain.  I was able to wean him from the bottles at 6 months
and he never had another ear infection after that.  He is 6 years old and
still occasionally nurses in his sleep.

By the way, when my babies/children night nurse, they are never "flat on
their backs" they are always snuggled up agains me.  My breasts don't fold
over enough to be able to nurse anyone flat on their back without me
throwing my own back out of whack!!

My other three children have never in their lives had any ear infections.

Nancy Sherwood LLLL, IBCLC  Mother of 5 children ages 18,15,12,9 &6 years old