Otitis Media with Effusion in Children (Clinics in Developmental Medicine

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is one of the most common diseases of childhood, yet its long-term effects are only just beginning to be appreciated. Following a comprehensive review of the literature, David Chalmers and his co-authors detail a longitudinal, multidisciplinary study of over 1000 New Zealand children enrolled at three years and followed to age eleven. The changing prevalence of OME in the sample is described; evidence on a wide range of risk factors is examined; the problems of chronic perforation of the tympanic membrane, cholesteatoma, and ontological complications of surgical therapy are evaluated; and the developmental consequences of OME are traced over time. Early onset of bilateral OME is shown to have long-lasting consequences for language development, speech articulation, reading ability, and classroom behavior. The authors conclude from these results that there is an urgent need for the detection and management of early onset OME.