Kirkwood C R, Kirkwood M E
J Fam Pract. 1983 Aug;17(2):219-27.
Despite an extensive literature suggesting a relationship between otitis media in early childhood and later learning disabilities, controversy still exists as to whether this link is causal. The hallmarks of otitis media, including decreased hearing and delayed language acquisition, and the characteristics of learning disabilities are reviewed. Further analysis of the studies that support a relationship between otitis media and learning disabilities strongly suggests that the relationship is causal in spite of methodologic limitations of some individual studies. If a causal relationship is accepted, then otitis media in early childhood is a disease with significant long-term morbidity that deserves careful follow-up and, when indicated, preventive interventions.
尽管有大量文献表明幼儿期中耳炎与后期学习障碍之间存在关联，但这种联系是否具有因果关系仍存在争议。本文回顾了中耳炎的特征，包括听力下降和语言习得延迟，以及学习障碍的特点。对支持中耳炎与学习障碍之间存在关联的研究进行的进一步分析强烈表明，尽管个别研究存在方法学上的局限性，但这种关联是因果性的。如果接受因果关系，那么幼儿期中耳炎就是一种具有重大长期发病率的疾病，值得仔细随访，并在必要时进行预防性干预。
