Early Ear Problems and Developmental Problems at School Age

• Published in: Clinical pediatrics Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 123 - 132
• Main Authors: Lindsay, Ronald L., Tomazic, Terry, Whitman, Barbara Y., Accairdo, Pasquale J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 708 Glen Cove Avenue, Glen Head, NY 11545 SAGE Publications 01-03-1999; Westminster; Westminster Publications, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child development; Developmental Disabilities - diagnosis; Ear Diseases - complications; Ear Diseases - etiology; Ear, auditive nerve, cochleovestibular tract, facial nerve: diseases, semeiology; Hearing Disorders - diagnosis; Hearing Disorders - etiology; Hearing loss; Humans; Hyperactivity; Intelligence Tests; Language; Medical sciences; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pediatrics; Retrospective Studies; Speech Disorders - diagnosis; Speech Disorders - etiology; United States; North America; America; Human; Psychomotor development; Parent; Middle ear disease; Socioeconomic category; Auditory disorder; Epidemiology; Hearing loss; School age; Language; Risk factor; ENT disease; Early; Child; Comparative study; Public health
• ISSN: 0009-9228; 1938-2707
• DOI: 10.1177/000992289903800301

Retrospective history of middle ear disease was compared with developmental diagnosis in 507 consecutively referred school-age children. History of major ear problems was positively associated with discrepancies between the performance and verbal IQ on the WISC-R. History of major ear problems was positively associated with the presence of articulation disorders for children in the low social class, hyperactivity in the middle social class, and language problems in the high social class. A history of significant middle ear disease in early childhood should raise concerns for articulation difficulties and possible language problems in children presenting to clinicians with school problems.