mystic_eye_cda replied: "The guidelines on antibiotic use for ear infections (see below) state that antibiotics are only RECOMMENDED if ALL of the following are true: *abrupt onset *fluid in the ears *CLEAR evidence of an inflamed ear drums. No other children should be offered antibiotics. Parents of children that meet the criteria can be offered antibiotics, but they can also choose watchful waiting. However the problem is that now that your son has been on antibiotics, if you stop you can create antibiotic resistance which is something no one wants. The consensus, evidence-based 2004 guidelines recommend that children under 6 months of age with red hot ear infections should be treated with antibiotics for 10 days and pain relief for at least the first 24 hours, whether or not the diagnosis is certain. Remember, antibiotics do not help pain during the most painful first 24 hours, and help pain only minimally after that. Kids 6 months to 2 years should receive 10 days of antibiotics and at least 24 hours of pain relief for a red hot ear if the diagnosis of an acute ear infection is certain (it must be an abrupt onset, with physical certainty of fluid in the ears, and clear evidence of an inflamed eardrum all 3). If the diagnosis of an acute infection is uncertain in these kids, they can be treated with pain relief and observed without antibiotics, (well talk about what this means soon), unless theyve had a fever of 102.2 or higher in the last 24 hours, or severe symptoms. Once children have reached their second birthdays, pain relief and antibiotics are recommended if both the diagnosis of an acute infection is certain and the illness is severe with a fever of at least 102.2 or symptoms of severe illness. Otherwise, observation and pain relief can be the better course of action. Most kids without a high fever dont need antibiotics for ear infections. Of the 10 million annual antibiotic pre ions for ear infections, somewhere between 8.5 million and 9.5 million pre ions didnt actually help the children, according to the best medical research (and according to the American Academy of Pediatrics). Put another way, we have to treat between 7 and 20 children with antibiotics for ear infections before one child benefits from the medicine. About 80 percent of ear infections will clear up easily without antibiotics. For those that dont, often the antibiotic wont help either. Sometimes it does. In 5 to 14 percent of children, the antibiotics will take one day off the length of the ear infection. But by comparison, up to 15 percent of children who take antibiotics will develop diarrhea and up to 5 percent will have allergic reactions, some of which may be quite serious. Wouldnt it be great to limit antibiotic use to the children who really need it?"