The influence of otitis media with effusion on speech and language development and psycho-intellectual behaviour of the preschool child--results of a cross-sectional study in 1,512 children.
To investigate the influence of otitis media with effusion (OME) on the psychological, social and intellectual development of preschool children, a cross-sectional study in 1,512 apparently healthy children, aged 25-80 months, attending kindergarten (infant school) was performed. Tympanometry and evaluation of the various psychological, social and intellectual parameters by the infant school teacher (assisted by a sociologist) were the most important diagnostical tools in this study. It was demonstrated that OME had a negative influence on speech/language development, intelligence, attention at school, activity at school, manual skill and social behaviour of the 2 to 6 year old child. For speech and language the negative influence was most clearly demonstrated in the youngest age group (less than 47 months), for intelligence and activity in the older age groups. Early detection and appropriate treatment of OME are recommended to avoid these complications.
D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D002648:Child; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007804:Language Development; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000523:psychology*; D012919:Social Behavior