Associations of possible risk factors with prevalence of otitis media with
effusion (OME) were prospectively studied in a cohort of 250 infants, aged
0-2 years. In order to determine OME, otoscopy and tympanometry were perfor
med at 3-monthly intervals beginning at term date. Eighteen epidemiological
ly relevant features were inventoried by means of standardized questionnair
es. Multivariate analysis controlled for possible confounding factors. Prev
alence of OME was most strongly associated with age (P-value < 0.001). Othe
r factors significantly associated with the prevalence of OME (P-value < 0.
05) were gestational age, birth weight, breastfeeding, day-care attendance,
number of siblings, season, and parent-reported ear infection, hearing los
s, mouth breathing and common cold. No significance was found for gender, d
ate of birth, passive smoking, family history of otitis media, parental soc
io-economic status and histories of snoring and consultation of a physician
. In conclusion: both intrinsic and extrinsic factors appear to play an imp
ortant role in the prevalence of OME. Some of the risk factors appeared to
be time-dependent. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserv
ed.