What are the causes of acute otitis media in children?

Acute otitis media in children is caused by upper respiratory tract infections, primarily including acute rhinitis, sinusitis, acute pharyngitis, and acute tonsillitis. In some children, acute inflammatory infections may also involve the trachea, bronchi, and lungs; pathogens and inflammatory secretions from the respiratory tract can travel retrograde via the eustachian tube (auditory tube) into the middle ear cavity. Additionally, children’s eustachian tubes are shorter, wider, and more horizontally oriented than those of adults, making them more susceptible to retrograde spread of inflammatory agents.