Risk for speech disorder associated with early recurrent otitis media with effusion: two retrospective studies

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Recurrent otitis media with effusion (OME) in early childhood is common.
• The impact of OME on speech development, particularly in diverse populations, requires further investigation.
• Previous studies often lack comprehensive speech and hearing data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the risk of speech disorder in children with a history of early recurrent OME.
• To examine the influence of hearing loss on this risk.
• To develop a preliminary model explaining the relationship between OME and speech outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized speech analysis programs and lifespan reference data on three cohorts of children with OME and controls.
• Included 35 typically developing children from a pediatric clinic and 50 typically developing Native American children.
• Analyzed conversational speech data using 10 speech production metrics, with retrospective hearing status where available.

Main Results:

• Early recurrent OME was not associated with an increased risk for speech disorder in the general pediatric sample.
• A significant association was found for children of Native American background, with approximately 4.6 times increased risk for speech disorder (CI = 1.10-20.20).
• Data limitations, particularly regarding hearing status in retrospective cohorts, affect generalization.

Conclusions:

• Early recurrent OME poses a differential risk for speech disorder, notably higher in Native American children.
• Multifactorial risk models are essential for understanding and addressing speech disorders in children with OME.
• Further research with comprehensive data is needed to refine predictive models.