http://www.applesforhealth.com/ChildrensHealth/bacward2.html

It was a very small double-blind study with only 108 children.  A
harmless bacterial nasal spray was tested vs placebo; the bacterium was
an alpha streptococcal strain that's normal flora.  Forty two percent
of the bacterial spray group were infection-free after three months,
versus 22% of the placebo group.  Presumably the bacterium competes
with germs that may cause ear infections.  Normal flora may be wiped
out by antibiotics used to treat ear infections, potentially making a
recurrent ear infection more likely.

However, many kids have other problems like serous otitis (not caused
by infection, though it may promote it) and will benefit from tubes
anyway, in that they will hear better.  Studies on the success of PE
tubes in treating ear infections look *much* better than the spray, and
tubes also treat serous otitis.

I saw the program you're talking about.  They made it seem as if this
might replace treatment with PE tubes, which does not appear to be the
case.

My son had two sets of tubes before he was 3 years old, the first set
for chronic otitis media (infectious) at 7 months, and the second at 22
months for chronic serous otitis.  At 20 months, his pediatrician
discouraged me from getting tubes, but when I insisted on an ENT
consult, the ENT discovered that his hearing was seriously impaired,
which was delaying his speech and making him difficult to manage
(because he could not hear us), and he constantly shouted.

The tubes were a breeze and made it all go away until they fell out
around 9 months to a year later.  I'd certainly have tried the spray if
I had it to do over, but I don't see it being a replacement for tubes,
especially in a kid with serous otitis.

Good luck,

--Patti