Publication date: May 2023
What is already known about this subject:
- Otitis media is one of the most common medical conditions in early childhood. It can be associated with middle ear effusion (MEE), which may lead to variable degrees of conductive hearing loss. Despite the high natural resolution rates, many children experience persistent or recurrent otitis media, resulting in extended periods of hearing loss. Ventilation tube insertion (VTI) is a common surgical intervention that is recommended for children with recurrent or persistent OM. Nevertheless, children with OM are argued to be at an increased risk for various developmental problems, including psychological development. However, most previous studies have only followed children during early childhood. This study is able to provide long-term follow-up, up to 13 years of age, and account for the potential impact of surgical intervention (VTI) on later behavioural outcomes.
What this study adds
- Data used: Parental report in a prospective longitudinal pregnancy cohort were used to classify children into three groups; recurrent OM (rOM) group (n= 276), VTI group (n= 62), and reference group (n= 1485). The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was administered at ages 5, 8, 10, and 13 years and data were analysed for psychological well-being, where higher scores are indicative of poorer outcomes.
- Main findings: The CBCL scores revealed a significant association between a history of rOM and an increase in behavioural problems, with age 5 being in the abnormal clinical range. Attention problem scores were significantly higher across all ages in the rOM group. A transient increase in withdrawn behaviour was observed in the VTI group at ages 8 and 10 years. Logistic regression models showed increased likelihood for the rOM group to fall within the abnormal clinical range across several behavioural categories at 5 years of age.
- Significance/Impact: Children with rOM in early childhood displayed behavioural problems in early and late childhood and had poorer attention outcomes. This suggests that rOM can have a significant impact on children’s behaviour that can persist until adolescence.