Ear infection is one of the most frequently occurring illnesses in childhood. This often repeated infection brings great pain to children. At present, a preventive measure that scientists are studying is to allow children to chew chewing gum containing xylitol. Scientists have noticed that xylitol can stop the growth of bacteria that cause many ear infections, which makes them start to study whether children who chew gum are less likely to suffer ear infections than unchewed children.
In a study published in the Cochrane database, a university research team in Toronto, Canada, conducted several analyses of 3,100 healthy children at day care centers. They found that children who chewed xylitol gum had a 25% lower risk of developing acute ear infections than unchewed children. However, because the child is required to chewed gum up to 5 times a day, it is not clear whether the same effect will be obtained if a smaller amount of chewing gum is eaten. Moreover, xylitol can also cause abdominal discomfort, and more long-term studies are needed in the future.