The Effects of Early Bilateral Otitis Media with Effusion on Educational Attainment: A Prospective Cohort Study

The relationship between long-lasting, bilateral otitis media with effusion (OME) between the ages of 2 and 4 and educational attainment, in particular, reading and spelling ability at 7 years of age, was studied in a prospective cohort study of 946 children. After selection, three groups were disti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of learning disabilities 1994-02, Vol.27 (2), p.111-122
Main Authors: Peters, Sylvia A. F., Grievink, Eefje H., van Bon, Wim H.J., Schilder, Anne G. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Achievement
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Cohort Studies
Communication disorders
Diseases
Education
Education, Special
Educational Status
Elementary Education
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Foreign Countries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Handicap
Hearing impaired young children
Hearing Loss, Conductive - etiology
Hearing Loss, Conductive - psychology
Humans
Learning Disorders - etiology
Learning Disorders - psychology
Learning Problems
Male
Middle Ear Ventilation - psychology
Netherlands
Netherlands (Nijmegen)
Otitis Media
Otitis Media with Effusion - complications
Otitis Media with Effusion - psychology
Partial Hearing
Prospective Studies
Psychology and medicine
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Reading Ability
Spelling
Young Children
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Summary:The relationship between long-lasting, bilateral otitis media with effusion (OME) between the ages of 2 and 4 and educational attainment, in particular, reading and spelling ability at 7 years of age, was studied in a prospective cohort study of 946 children. After selection, three groups were distinguished: 151 children with long-lasting, bilateral OME at preschool age, 37 preschool children treated with ventilation tubes, and 82 children with no history of OME at that age. Early bilateral OME was found to affect spelling ability, but not reading ability, at 7 years. The effects of OME did not appear to increase with the number of observations of OME. Also, recurrent hearing loss did not have more detrimental effects than continuous hearing loss. Effects of treatment with ventilation tubes were not found. Only the teachers' ratings of writing ability indicated a slight advantage of treatment with ventilation tubes. In conclusion, the educational consequences of early OME appear to be very small.
ISSN:0022-2194
1538-4780
DOI:10.1177/002221949402700206