PURPOSE: to check the timpanometric findings in six-month-old infants, who were exclusively and/or predominantly breast fed. METHODS: 46 six-month-old infants were studied. From this total, 30 (61.22%) of the infants were submitted exclusively to breast feeding during six months and 16 (34.78%) infants were not submitted to exclusive breast feeding. The infants were submitted to external acoustic meatho and eardrum inspection. RESULTS: there were statistically significant (p=0.0084) differences in the findings for timpanometry alterations in breast fed infants for a longer time period. Considering the infant's gender related to breast feeding period, only the male infants presented statistically significant (p=0,0006) results related to normal tympanometric curve protection. Concerning other analyzed factors, it was possible to find a relation between exclusive breast feeding period and tympanometric alterations. CONCLUSION: despite other risk factors, exclusive breast feeding for a period of six months is the ideal way for breast feeding and it acts as an important factor to prevent tympanometric alterations. It is not necessary to insert other types of food before this period which has been recommended to be an ideal breast feeding period by the World Health Organization.
Breast Feeding; Ear, Middle; Otitis; Infant
