No association between hearing loss due to bilateral otitis media with effusion and Denver-II test results in preschool children.
OBJECTIVE
Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the most common cause of acquired hearing loss in childhood and has been associated with delayed language development and behavioral problems. In this study, children with an evidently recurrent otitis media were investigated. The present study examines the association between hearing loss versus developmental screening test parameters of preschool children.


METHODS
Sixteen children with bilateral otitis media were compared with age-matched same number of children with normal hearing (controls).


RESULTS
Language and verbal cognitive abilities were not affected significantly as a result of the presence of hearing loss because of OME. Using internationally standardized Denver-II test to evaluate the language development and other developmental screening parameters, no significant difference was found between the patient and control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This study failed to find any association between the hearing loss due to otitis media with effusion and speech and language parameters in preschool children.
Dokuz Eylul Medical School, Department of Otolaryngology, Inciralti-Izmir 35340, Turkey. serbetcioglu@gmail.com
Bulent
B
Serbetcioglu
Ozgur
O
Ugurtay
Gunay
G
Kirkim
Basak
B
Mutlu
D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001844:Bone Conduction; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000150:complications*; D017084:Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous; D012008:Recurrence