Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Otol Neurotol. 2011 Jul;32(5):799-804. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0b013e31821b0d07.
Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the major reason for failure of neonatal hearing screening. However, little is known about the impact on hearing status of OME in infants during the first months of life.
Infants who failed universal newborn hearing screening.
Prospective evaluation for the presence of OME, the degree of hearing loss and the disease evolution.
Between 2007 and 2008, approximately 152 infants were referred because of unilateral or bilateral failure on universal newborn hearing screening with an automated auditory brainstem response device. Eighty-four (55.3%) had OME, 20 of them were lost to follow-up. The remainder 64 infants comprised 37 boys and 27 girls, with a median age of 49 days (range, 40-65 d) at admission. Auditory brainstem response thresholds were 50 dB nHL (range, 40-60) in both ears. A spontaneous resolution of OME was documented in 15 infants. In the remaining, hearing normalized after tympanocentesis or placement of ventilation tubes. Normal hearing could be ascertained in all children at a median age of 4.8 months (range, 3.3-7.8 mo). In the group of infants analyzed, no permanent hearing loss could be detected.
OME is an important cause of transient, moderately severe hearing loss during the first months of life--a critical period for development of the auditory system. Active treatment should be considered if spontaneous resolution does not occur to prevent any delay in language acquisition and to exclude an underlying sensorineural hearing loss.
中耳积液（OME）是新生儿听力筛查失败的主要原因。然而，对于生命最初几个月内 OME 对婴儿听力状况的影响知之甚少。
新生儿听力普遍筛查失败的婴儿。
前瞻性评估 OME 的存在、听力损失程度和疾病演变。
在 2007 年至 2008 年间，大约 152 名婴儿因单侧或双侧新生儿听力普遍筛查自动听性脑干反应装置失败而被转诊。84 例（55.3%）有 OME，其中 20 例失访。其余 64 例患儿中男 37 例，女 27 例，入院时中位年龄 49 天（范围 40-65 天）。双耳听觉脑干反应阈值均为 50dB nHL（范围 40-60）。15 例 OME 自发缓解。在其余病例中，经鼓膜穿刺或放置通气管后听力恢复正常。所有儿童的平均听力正常年龄为 4.8 个月（范围 3.3-7.8 个月）。在分析的婴儿组中，未发现永久性听力损失。
OME 是生命最初几个月内发生的暂时性、中度严重听力损失的重要原因，这是听觉系统发育的关键时期。如果自发性缓解未发生，应考虑积极治疗，以防止语言习得延迟，并排除潜在的感音神经性听力损失。
