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A prospective study of otitis media in infants born at very-low birthweight
J S Gravel1, C M McCarton, R J Ruben
1Department of Otolaryngology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Rose F. Kennedy Center for Mental Retardation and Human Development, Bronx, N.Y.
Insights
Premature infants and healthy full-term infants show similar rates of otitis media during their first year. This study found no link between prematurity factors and middle ear infection risk in these infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neonatology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Infants born at very-low birthweight (VLBW) face increased health risks.
- Otitis media (middle ear infection) is common in early childhood.
- Long-term outcomes for VLBW infants require ongoing monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the incidence of otitis media in VLBW infants versus healthy full-term infants.
- To investigate potential risk factors for otitis media in VLBW infants.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up of 46 VLBW infants for one year post-NICU discharge.
- Pneumatic otoscopy used for otitis media diagnosis during follow-up visits.
- Comparison with 21 healthy, full-term infants as controls.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in the occurrence of normal middle ears or otitis media between VLBW and control groups.
- No correlation found between gestational age, birthweight, or NICU stay and otitis media incidence in VLBW infants.
Conclusions:
- VLBW infants do not appear to have a higher risk of otitis media compared to full-term infants.
- Gestational age, birthweight, and NICU length of stay are not predictive of otitis media in the first year for VLBW infants.
Abstract:
Forty-six infants born at very-low birthweight were followed prospectively for a one-year period after their discharge from a neonatal intensive care unit. Pneumatic otoscopy was used to diagnose otitis media at periodic visits to a medical/developmental follow-up program. Twenty-one normal, full-term infants routinely cared for in a well-baby nursery served as control subjects and were followed similarly for the same time period. No difference was found between the two infant groups for the either the percentage of visits infants were considered to have normal middle ears bilaterally or otitis media unilaterally or bilaterally. Further, for the premature infants, no relationship was found between gestational age at birth, birthweight, or length of stay in the intensive care unit and percent-visits with otitis media during the first year.