Relationship of environmental tobacco smoke to otitis media in young children.

Otitis media (OM) continues to be a major health problem of children in the United States. The role of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) as a predisposing factor has not been completely discerned. This study and discussion is an investigation and review of the influence of passive cigarette smoking on OM in children, and its effect on the practice of otolaryngology within the pediatric population. A prospective study of 175 children with recurrent OM and requiring tympanostomy tubes (case group) was compared to an age-matched group of 175 children (controls) to determine the role passive cigarette smoking has on the incidence of this disease. The results revealed that the case group more commonly had exposure to ETS (P = .04). Prospective follow-up of the case group revealed no significant difference in the clinical course of the children who were exposed to ETS and those who were not.