The following script is part of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) radio series 'A Minute for Kids.' Feel free to use this or other AAP scripts in your local print or broadcast media, and in school or community newsletters. Please attribute the American Academy of Pediatrics as the source. For more scripts on children's health, visit www.aap.org

Understanding Acute Otitis Media

For years, parents expected to receive antibiotics from their pediatrician whenever their child had a middle ear infection. But new diagnosis and treatment standards from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) are changing the way middle ear infections, or Acute Otitis Media, are treated. Acute Otitis Media is the most common bacterial illness in children and the one most commonly treated with antibiotics. But experts are concerned that the bacteria that cause Acute Otitis Media are increasingly resistant to antibiotics. That's why these guidelines are so important. The guidelines draw an important distinction between Acute Otitis Media and Otitis Media With Effusion, which is an ear infection with fluid in the middle ear. Each type of ear infection requires a different treatment. For more information on your child's health, visit www.aap.org.

Rev 12-1-2006