Yes, ear infections are among the many symptoms that may respond to dietary investigation.
Cows milk is often suspect. However just like other symptoms each child has their own cluster of sensitivities. They can include any of the suspect chemicals, and foods to which any family member is allergic, as well as infections, or inhalant allergens.
One problem that makes this sad is that often the children are food intolerant and therefore are reacting to the strong artificial flavour in the paediatric syrup that is needed once the child has an infection. [For every one part of colour in a lolly there are 10 parts of artificial
flavour, in a paediatric syrup the ratio is 1: 15!!] So we have a vicious cycle whereby the mother gives the child high salicylate or additives in food, and the child gets an ear ache which becomes infected. Then it needs antibiotics which come with a load of artificial flavours four times a day and the cycle goes on.
So if you have a baby who has symptoms that respond to diet in the first year and their tolerance seems to improve [i.e. the diarrhoea or eczema seem to be tolerant to introduced foods, but the child begins to get ear ache [ Those researching food intolerance at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney would remind us that the target organ can and does change], then the diet that was necessary for the earlier symptoms needs to be used while ear aches are present. Each child has his or her own cluster of symptoms and own cluster of sensitivities. And they each have their own level of response to diet. Some respond usefully, some very usefully and some have symptoms clear completely.
Parents need to be assertive and ask for medicines without colour or flavour, and to reassure the doctor and pharmacist that you can manage to divide a white tablet or contents of a capsule so the baby does get the right dose of antibiotic and takes the full course of treatment. This is important I have met many mothers who often do not finish the course of coloured and flavoured antibiotics as the baby gets other symptoms such as greater irritability, and even more sleep problems, looseness or rashes.
I have included a page ‘Diet and chronic ear infections’ http://btdev.in/dev/fip/chronic-ear-infections-diet-role/ on the web site, and you can read how to manage diet investigation in my book Are You Food Sensitive?
Joan Breakey Dietitian specialising in food intolerance 2013
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