Early middle ear effusion and school achievement at age seven years.
OBJECTIVE
This study tested the hypothesis that children with early persistent middle ear effusion (MEE) are at risk for later deficits in academic performance.


METHODS
We recruited 698 newborns and monitored them for MEE every 2 to 4 weeks at home until age 3 years. At age 7 years, it was possible to obtain school data for 226 children. Tests included the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills or the Stanford Achievement tests, the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests, and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement.


RESULTS
There was no significant relationship between early MEE and measures of school achievement as shown by correlations or multiple regression. Differences between extreme MEE groups were not significant. School achievement was strongly associated with ethnicity, home environment, and socioeconomic status.


CONCLUSIONS
Early persistent MEE does not appear to affect achievement in school at age 7 years.
McCormick
David P
DP
Department of Pediatrics, Division of General Academic Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 400 Harborside Drive, Galveston, TX 77555-1119, USA. david.mccormick@utmb.edu
Johnson
Dale L
DL
Baldwin
Constance D
CD
D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome