You betcha!

As a matter of fact, breastfeeding is such an effective strategy for preventing ear infection, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) in its newly revised policy statement lists exclusive breastfeeding until at least three months of age as one of the six things parents can do to reduce their child’s risk for ear infection.

Other recommendations include:

• following simple hygiene practices such as washing hands after handling used tissues
• limiting the use of pacifiers
• avoiding childcare settings
• encouraging childcare workers to exercise good hygiene by routinely washing hands and cleaning toys
• not smoking

Research shows that formula-fed babies have twice as many ear infections as breastfed babies—a statistic that becomes even more significant when you consider that ear infection is one of the most common childhood illnesses, with 75 percent of children having at least one ear infection by one year of age.

In addition to giving parents advice on how to reduce the risk of ear infection, the CPS policy statement also discusses:

• why children get ear infections
• signs and symptoms of ear infection
• when should antibiotics be given and for how long
• which vaccines offer protection against ear infection

A great resource for parents and health care providers.