title: Incidence and outcome of middle ear disease in cleft lip and/or cleft palate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Otitis media with effusion is known to be very common among children with cleft palate, however, less is known regarding the natural history and outcome in this group. The purpose of the present study was to examine the incidence, natural history, treatment, and outcome of middle ear disease in children with clefts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was sent to the parents of all children registered on the cleft lip and palate database at our institution. The medical records of all respondents were also reviewed. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using Fisher's exact test in contingency tables and binary logistic regression analyses, where appropriate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  397 fully completed questionnaires were returned. Ear disease was much more common in children with cleft palate, or cleft lip and palate, than in children with cleft lip. Among children with cleft palate, ear problems (infections and/or hearing loss) were most prevalent in the 4-6-year-old age group. However, ear problems persisted at a substantial level for many years after this; only after the age of 12 years did problems appear to settle. The incidence of below normal current hearing and of surgery for chronic otitis media was significantly related to history of ear infections (P=0.000 and 0.000, respectively), and to increased number of ventilation tube insertions (P=0.000 and 0.000, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Middle ear disease is common in children with cleft palate, and, unlike the case for children without clefts, has a prolonged recovery, and a substantial incidence of late sequelae. The higher incidence of below normal hearing and surgery for chronic otitis media in children undergoing a greater number of ventilation tube insertions, although most likely reflecting an increased underlying severity of otitis media in these children, also underlines the lack of long-term benefits of ventilation tubes in this group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, The Children's Hospital, Temple Street, 1, Dublin, Ireland. sheahanp@eircom.net
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sheahan
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Jerome N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Sheahan
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Earley
authors.forename: Alexander W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Blayney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000150:complications*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome