(HealthDay News) -- Ear infections are common in children, and may be chronic.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers this list of risk factors for ear infections in children:

• Being around smokers.
• Having had a prior ear infection or a family history of ear infection.
• Going to day care.
• Being born prematurely or having a low birth weight.
• Having frequent colds or other infections.
• Going to bed with a bottle, or using a pacifier.
• Being a boy.
• Having allergy-related nasal congestion.
• Having nasally speech.