Xylitol syrup for the prevention of acute otitis media.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common childhood illness and the leading indication for antibiotic prescriptions for US children. Xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol, can reduce AOM when given 5 times per day as a gum or syrup, but a more convenient dosing regimen is needed for widespread adoption.

Methods

We designed a pragmatic practice-based randomized controlled trial to determine if viscous xylitol solution at a dose of 5 g 3 times per day could reduce the occurrence of clinically diagnosed AOM among otitis-prone children 6 months through 5 years of age.

Results

A total of 326 subjects were enrolled, with 160 allocated to xylitol and 166 to placebo. In the primary analysis of time to first clinically diagnosed AOM episode, the hazard ratio for x

SUBMITTER: Vernacchio L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3904279 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature