Recommendations for preventing ear infections are the following:
- Both parent and children should wash their hands frequently.
- Keep babies away from unclean and inappropriate things they can put in their mouths.
- Children who spend a lot of time in cigarette smoking environments are more likely to suffer from ear infections.
- If possible, it is suggested to breast-feed your baby. If that scenario is not possible, at least avoid bottle-feeding your baby when the baby is lying down.
- Stop using a pacifier. After 12 months babies should not use pacifiers in order to avoid the possibility of getting an ear infection.
- Children should get immunized. Immunization does not prevent acute otitis directly, but it may prevent illnesses like cold and flu which often lead to infections.