Otitis media: precursor of delayed reading.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the connection between otitis media in the language acquisition years and the occurrence of delayed reading between the ages of 8 and 10.


METHODS
Participants were 40 children, half of whom had a history of otitis media between the ages of birth and three years and half who were free of the disease. These children, now ages 8-10, were tested with the WISC-R and a variety of reading measures.


RESULTS
Children with a history of otitis media scored over a year below grade level in reading and significantly below controls on a variety of literacy measures as well as on the Verbal Comprehension factor on the WISC-R.


CONCLUSIONS
Children with early onset otitis media (birth to three years) tend to be at greater risk for delayed reading than age-matched controls.
Kindig
J S
JS
University of Virginia, USA. jsk7n@virginia.edu
Richards
H C
HC
D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications*; D011932:Reading; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014888:Wechsler Scales