Zielhuis G A, Gerritsen A A, Gorissen W H, Dekker L J, Rovers M M, van der Wilt G J, Ingels K
Department of Epidemiology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 1998 Aug 1;44(3):227-34. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5876(98)00068-8.
To evaluate the long-term predictive value of persistent/recurrent otitis media with effusion (OME) in infants in relation with hearing levels at (early) school age.
A case-cohort study among a population-based sample of school-age children screened for hearing deficits.
Schoolchildren (second grade, 5-6 years of age) in the city of Utrecht, the Netherlands, who failed the hearing screening test and a sample of children invited for this screening. History of otitis media (serosa and acute) was assessed using three sources of information: a self-completion questionnaire mailed to the parents; medical records of otolaryngology visits; data from the (Ewing) hearing screening test at 9 months of age.
Children who failed the primary Ewing test and children with recurrent and or persistent OME in the first 2 years of life showed an increased risk of failing school audiometry compared to children without such an OME history (OR=1.6 and 2.3, respectively). In a logistic model, the results of the primary Ewing test and the frequency of acute otitis media, proved to be moderately predictive for the screening test result at school age.
OME in infants is a prognostic factor for hearing performance in the early school years.
