Conservative treatment for otitis media with effusion (OME) led us to consi
der the use of hearing aids as a way of managing the associated hearing los
s. This study aimed to assess the compliance of patients and acceptance of
hearing aids for the management of children with OME,
Thirty-nine children who had been given binaural hearing aids to manage OME
were assessed at routine follow-up after six months. A clinician who did n
ot prescribe the aid administered a questionnaire to assess compliance, cha
nge in symptoms and acceptance of the aids.
Thirty-eight parents thought the aids were easy to use and 25 (66 per cent)
were completely satisfied with the management. Aided hearing improved by a
mean of 17 dB (Range 10-30) over three frequencies, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 Khz and
all parents reported subjective hearing improvement in their children. The
stigma of an aid was reported as minimal under the age of seven.
Hearing aids provide a non-invasive way of managing the problems associated
with OME which is acceptable to certain parents and children. Long-term ef
fects of using aids need to be evaluated before they can be recommended.