Ear Infections- Treat Ear Infections Immediately with Antibiotics, Say Experts

Ear infections and the process of treating them should be re-evaluated based on a new scientific and medical study. New studies say ear infections in children should be treated immediately with antibiotics, contradicting current "wait and see" treatments, researchers say.

Current practice for treating kids' mild middle-ear infections calls for observation, with antibiotics prescribed only if symptoms worsen or don't cease.

However, two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine strongly suggest when it comes to ear infections, antibiotics are in order, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

Antibiotics are effective in relieving ear-infection symptoms such as fever, poor appetite, decreased activity and irritability, the studies found, suggesting their benefits warrant their being administered early regardless of the severity of a child's symptoms.

The studies did note the use of antibiotics must be weighed against the risk of antimicrobial resistance, to which prescriptions for childhood infections are thought to contribute, and against antibiotics' side effects, which can include diarrhea and eczema.