Here’s an interesting correlation: reduction in air pollution leads to fewer ear infections in children. A study, presented at the 2009 meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, analyzed U.S. data on 126,060 children from 1997 to 2007 and found that frequent otitis media (three or more ear infections in a 12-month period) decreased as air quality improved, as measured by the Environmental Protection Agency. The researchers noted that previous smaller studies have linked cleaner air with reductions in incidence of ear infections, but this was the first large study to look at this correlation. They also believe that continued efforts to reduce air pollution will continue to further reduce ear infection rates. [via CBS News]
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.