title: Hear all sides.
abstract: Otitis media - inflammation of the middle ear - may be either suppurative or secretory. It has been suggested that secretory otitis media affects at least 20 per cent of children at some time. Acute suppurative otitis media will occur at least once in the same percentage of children in Britain in their first year of schooling. ( Serra et al 1986 ) A child with cleft palate is particularly at risk from secretory otitis media.