i have often wondered about the rate of ear infections that occurred in
earlier times, i.e., when breastfeeding was the norm (and before antibiotics).
so perhaps if breastfeeding for a year reduces the incidence of later
infections,that  explains a lower rate. i think of this because i have an
aunt, about eighty, who had mastoid surgery in childhood (surgery to remove
part of the mastoid bone behind the ear because of infection), and of course
has always been deaf in that ear. however, i do know she was breastfed as a
baby, but probably only for a year. another female relative the same age as my
grandmother told me that they "all" weaned their babies at age one unless it
was summer (they kept bf in order to protect the babies against "summer
complaint," contaminated water diseases).

this is one of those semi-coherent posts, but i am wondering why there aren't
deaf people everywhere, if ear infections were as common eighty years or more
ago as they are now.

carol b.