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Published on: July 1, 2015
Long-term effects of early-life otitis media on language development
Anne Zumach1, Ellen Gerrits, Michelene Chenault
1Maastricht University Medical Center, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Maastricht, the Netherlands. anne.zumach@mumc.nl
Purpose:
The aim of the present study was to examine the long-term consequences of early-life otitis media (OM) and the associated hearing loss (HL) on language skills of school-aged children.
Method:
In a prospective study, the middle-ear status of 65 Dutch healthy-born children was documented every 3 months during their first 2 years of life; language comprehension and production were evaluated at 27 months and again at 7 years.
Results:
The positive relation that was found between OM-related HL and language development at 27 months could no longer be discerned at school age. Accordingly, parent-reported HL between 2 and 7 years had no effect on scores at school age.
Conclusion:
The present study shows that negative consequences of early-life OM or the underlying HL on language comprehension and production appear to be resolved by the age of 7. It also shows that parent-reported HL between 2 and 7 years is not related to language skills at school age.
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