Echinacea purpurea and osteopathic manipulative treatment in children with recurrent otitis media: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Recurrent otitis media is a common problem in young children. Echinacea and osteopathic manipulative treatment have been proposed as preventive measures, but have been inadequately studied. This study was designed to assess the efficacy of Echinacea purpurea and/or osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for prevention of acute otitis media in otitis-prone children.

Influence of attendance at day care on the common cold from birth through 13 years of age.

Objective: To describe trends in the occurrence of the common cold during the first 13 years of life among children who attended different childcare settings early in life.

Design: The Tucson Children's Respiratory Study involves 1246 children enrolled at birth and followed up prospectively since May 1980 through October 1984. Children with data regarding day care use during the first 3 years of life were included in this investigation (n = 991).