BOSTON -- New research is questioning whether ear tubes are really the solution for young children who have chronic ear infections.

NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Tuesday that next to the common cold, it's the most common problem in young children. Fluid gets trapped in the inner ear, causing chronic ear infections.

"With every ear infection, you're looking at her and asking, 'Are you hearing? Can you hear me?' It's really decreasing her hearing as well as being very painful," parent Julie Flammia said.

When Flammia's daughter, Maddie, was 2, she got ear tubes to prevent recurring infections. It's a procedure that helps ventilate the middle ear by clearing up persistent fluid that causes infections.

"And that is what prevents the middle ear membrane from secreting fluid in the middle ear space," Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Dr. Leila Mankarious said.

Research has shown the fluid build up can cause hearing, speech and other developmental problems. But a new study is questioning whether that's really true. In it, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh said any side effects from the fluid is short-lived and will not interfere with learning.

But Mankarious said that persistent ear infections can cause serious hearing problems. Still, she said that she is somewhat encouraged by the new study.

Mankarious said that that persistent ear infections can cause serious hearing problems. She said that parents should look out for six or more acute ear infections in any year or non-infected fluid in the ears for three months that comes with hearing loss.

"The discomfort, the fever, the repeated need for antibiotics all need to be taken into consideration, and that exists on top of whether the child has hearing loss and potential speech delay," Mankarious said.

As for Maddie, her mother said that getting ear tubes was the best solution for her daughter.

"She can hear better. The rate of ear infections came down dramatically especially when she had a cold," Flammia said.