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Some Audiological, Psychological, Educational and Behavioral Characteristics Of Children With Bilateral Otitis Media With Effusion: A Longitudinal Study

Phil A. Silva is Director of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, University of Otago Medical School.

David Chalmers, PhD

David Chalmers is Scientific Officer of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, University of Otago Medical School.

Ian Stewart, FRCS

Ian Stewart is an otolaryngologist and ear, nose, and throat surgeon at the University of Otago Medical School and the Dunedin Hospital. Address: Dr. Phil A. Silva, Director, The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Pediatrics, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand.

This paper describes a longitudinal study of a group of children who had bilateral otitis media with effusion at age five and who were compared with a group of children with normal ears at that age. OME was defined as Type B tympanograms and features of OME by otomicroscopic examination and normal as Type A tympanograms in both ears again confirmed by otomicroscopy. Results are reported for hearing (ages 5, 7, 9, 11), intelligence (3, 5, 7, 9, 11), language development (3, 5, 7, 9), speech articulation (5, 7, 9), reading attainment (7, 9, 11), and behaviour problems (5, 7, 9, 11). Children with bilateral OME at age five had a moderately high degree of hearing loss at that age and continued to have a significant degree of hearing loss at subsequent ages. The degree of later hearing loss was small. When the mean IQs over the years were combined, there was no significant difference between the groups. The bilateral OME group gained significantly lower average scores in both verbal comprehension and expression. Also, the combined speech articulation and the reading test scores were significantly lower in the bilateral OME group. Teachers, but not parents, reported significantly more behaviour problems in the bilateral OME group over the period studied. Because this was the first longitudinal study of what was assumed to be the consequences of bilateral OME to be reported, further such research is recommended. In the meantime, the results were interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that bilateral OME has long term adverse effects on children and that current efforts towards the early identification and treatment of bilateral OME should be continued. These efforts, however, should be targeted well before age five and possibly prior to age three.

Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 19, No. 3, 165-169 (1986)
DOI: 10.1177/002221948601900307


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