Objective: This study examined, in a health maintenance organization population of children, the associations between parents' smoking and otitis media (OM) in their children while controlling for other known risk factors.
Methods: Healthy newborns (1246) in a large health maintenance organization were enrolled at birth, and 1013 (81%) were followed prospectively for the first year of life. Their medical records were reviewed for the diagnosis of otitis media. Information on risk factors for recurrent OM (ROM) was collected, including a number of variables related to parental smoking.
Results: After controlling for other known risk factors for ROM including gender, day care, other siblings in the home, parental history of hay fever, and method of feeding, it was found that heavy maternal smoking of 20 or more cigarettes per day was a significant risk factor for ROM but not for nonrecurrent otitis. Heavy maternal smoking was associated with a threefold risk for ROM if the infant weighed less than the mean at birth (3.5 kg) after controlling for other risk factors. No association was found with paternal smoking.
Conclusions: Heavy maternal smoking is a significant risk factor for ROM in the first year of life. This smoking effect seems to be stronger among infants of lower birth weight.