Affiliation:
1. Arctic Health Research Center, Bureau of Community and Environmental Management, the Ecological Investigations Program, Center for Disease Control, and the Alaska Area Native Health Service, Indian Health Service; Health Services and Mental Health Administration, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Anchorage, Alaska
Abstract
Histories of ear disease, otoscopic examinations, and audiologic, intelligence, and achievement tests were obtained from a cohort of 489 Alaskan Eskimo children who have been followed through the first ten years of life. Seventy-six per cent had experienced one or more episodes of otitis media since birth. Of these, 78% had their first attack during their first two years of life. Perforations and scars were present in 41%. A hearing loss of 26 decibels or greater was present in 16%, and an additional 25% were in the normal range but had a measurable air-bone gap. Children with a history of otitis media prior to 2 years of age and a hearing loss of 26 decibels or greater had a statistically significant loss of verbal ability and were behind in total reading, total math, and language. In addition, children who had an early onset of otitis media but now had normal hearing with a conductive component were also adversely affected in verbal areas. The number of otitis media episodes was related to tympanic membrane abnormalities, hearing loss, and low verbal and achievement scores.
These findings indicate that otitis media has been a significant cause of morbidity in Alaskan Eskimo children, and its onset during the critical years of language development as well as the number of episodes play an important role in impairing verbal development.
Publisher
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Subject
Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Cited by
16 articles.
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