(NEW YORK) -- Acute otitis media (AOM), a type of ear infection,
is one of the most common illnesses in children. For the last
decade, doctors worried about over-prescribing antibiotics to
young patients suffering with AOM advocated a watch-and-wait
approach. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics has revised
its recommendations. Children six months and older should be
given antibiotics immediately if the ear infection causes severe
pain or a fever of 102.2 degrees or higher, the academy says.
The new guidelines, out Monday, also say breastfeeding for at
least four months reduces ear infections -- so does eliminating
exposure to tobacco smoke. Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio