title: Characterization of middle-ear condition of Oporto daycare children up-to 3 years-old: a cross sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine tympanometric values of children who attend Oporto daycare centers and further analyze any relations with host and environmental factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study in a randomly selected sample of 117 daycare children up-to 3-years old from Oporto. Tympanometric measures were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children presented in left ear (LE) a mean peak pressure (PP) of -156.53daPa and a mean compliance of 0.16cm(3). Right ear (RE) revealed a PP of -145.61daPa and a compliance of 0.19cm(3). Normal tympanograms (type A) had a lower frequency than abnormal tympanograms (type B and type C). There was a positive association between age and compliance (LE: p=0.016; RE: p=0.013) and between the presence of rhinorrhea and PP (LE: p=0.002; RE: p<0.05). Abnormal tympanograms were more frequent in Spring (RE: p=0.009), in younger children (LE: p=0.03) and in children that had rhinorrhea (LE: p=0.002; RE: p=0.044). Healthy children had a mean PP of -125.19daPa and a mean compliance of 0.21cm(3) in LE and a mean PP of -144.27daPa and a mean compliance of 0.22cm(3) in RE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tympanometric measures presented in this paper may be applicable to Oporto daycare children up-to 3 years-old. Most of daycare children revealed abnormal tympanograms. Age, rhinorrhea and season influenced children's middle-ear condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology, School of Allied Health Sciences of Porto (ESTSP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), Portugal.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tomé
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences of Porto (ESTSP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), Portugal; Institute for Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: anamanuelasilva123@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Manuela Ferreira Silva
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alexandrino
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences of Porto (ESTSP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), Portugal.
authors.forename: Rita Isabel Garrido Vieira
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences of Porto (ESTSP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina Damas Argel
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences of Porto (ESTSP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), Portugal.
authors.forename: Daniel André Santos
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Portugal; Otorhinolaryngology Department of Porto Hospital Center, Portugal.
authors.forename: João Pinto
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D000367:Age Factors; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D011174:Portugal; D012621:Seasons
keywords: Acute otitis media; Daycare children; Eustachian tube dysfunction; Middle-ear effusion; Tympanometric values; Upper respiratory infection