Related Experiment Videos
Secretory otitis media and language development: a six-year follow-up study with case-control
J Lous1, M Fiellau-Nikolajsen, A L Jeppesen
1Otitis Media Study Group, Arhus University, Hjørring, Denmark.
Summary
Children with persistent secretory otitis media (SOM) showed no lower scores on cognitive and language tests compared to controls. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between long-lasting SOM and language development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Secretory otitis media (SOM) is a common childhood condition.
- Long-lasting SOM may potentially impact cognitive and language development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of persistent secretory otitis media on cognitive and language development in children.
- To compare the performance of children with a history of long-lasting SOM to age-matched controls.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 463 three-year-olds.
- Identified 40 children with constant secretory otitis media (SOM) over 6 months.
- At age 8, children with long-lasting SOM and matched controls were assessed using the Silent Reading Word Test (OS-400), Revised Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-R), and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC).
Main Results:
- Children with long-lasting SOM (n=26) did not score lower than control children (n=26) on the OS-400, PPVT-R, and WISC verbal tests.
- No significant differences were found in children with long-lasting bilateral SOM compared to their controls.
- Increased variability in scores was observed in the SOM group for WISC and PPVT-R tests.
Conclusions:
- Long-lasting secretory otitis media did not appear to negatively impact cognitive or language abilities at age 8 in this cohort.
- Further research with more comprehensive studies is recommended to fully understand the complex relationship between SOM and language development.