LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF OTITIS-MEDIA WITH EFFUSION ON LANGUAGE, READING AND SPELLING

The long-term effects of early OME on language and educational attainm ent were studied in 47 children of 7-8 years of age who had participat ed in an earlier pre-school study1 on otitis media with effusion (OME) and language development. At pre-school age OME was diagnosed by quar terly tympanometric screens (maximum nine) and language was assessed b y a standard Reynell test. At school age the ears of the children were assessed by otomicroscopy, tympanometry and audiometry, and the devel opment status by several language, reading and spelling tests. The ass ociation between early OME and language development found at pre-schoo l age was no longer present at school age.