Tympanometry in three-year-old children. The 3-year follow-up of a cohort study.

All 3-year-old children in a region were screened by tympanometry in January 1976 (503 children), and the 6-year-olds of the same region had tympanometric and tone audiometric screening in January 1979 (498 children), 70% being included both times. Significant improvement in middle ear status had occurred from the age of 3-6 years, but otherwise there was surprisingly little difference between the two age levels, e.g., about one-third of the tympanograms were abnormal in both age groups. Ears having a middle ear pressure of 0 to -99mm H2O at 3 years showed significantly better impedance audiology at 6 years, but as regards hearing loss they proved to be like cases who had previously had more or less negative pressure in the middle ear. Out of the flat tympanograms at 3 years a quarter were still flat at 6 years, and every sixth child did not pass tone audiometric screening. The subgroups boys/girls, nursery school/homecare children, urban/rural children that had exhibited differences in middle ear function at 3 years showed identical results at 6 years. A favourable effect of systematic tracing and active treatment of middle ear pathology from the age of 3 years could not be found at tone audiometry and impedance testing at 6 years. This must, inter alia, shake faith in adenoidectomy as a therapeutic or preventive procedure in dealing with middle ear pathology.