ScienceDaily: Recurrent Middle Ear Infections Can Have A Major Impact On Children's Development
Science Daily — A study by the University of Western Sydney has revealed that recurring middle ear infections in early childhood can have a detrimental impact on language and literacy skill development in later life.
Study author, Dr Heather Winskel, from the University's School of Psychology, says middle ear infection or otitis media (OM) is the most common childhood illness.
"At least 70% of children are likely to experience at least one episode of otitis media before they are three-years-old and for many children it is a recurrent problem," says Dr Winskel.
"The peak incidence of OM occurs when children are between 6 and 18 months, which is the most critical period of language development, when the infant is tuning in to the speech sounds that characterise their native language. This process allows young children to break into the stream of speech and eventually map sound onto meaning.
"Fluctuating hearing loss due to OM during the early years of life presents the child with an intermittent speech signal that is difficult to process."
According to Dr Winskel, while earlier studies have indicated that ongoing middle ear infections in young children appear to be linked with poor language and literacy skills these studies have also produced conflicting results.
Science Daily — A study by the University of Western Sydney has revealed that recurring middle ear infections in early childhood can have a detrimental impact on language and literacy skill development in later life.
Study author, Dr Heather Winskel, from the University's School of Psychology, says middle ear infection or otitis media (OM) is the most common childhood illness.
"At least 70% of children are likely to experience at least one episode of otitis media before they are three-years-old and for many children it is a recurrent problem," says Dr Winskel.
"The peak incidence of OM occurs when children are between 6 and 18 months, which is the most critical period of language development, when the infant is tuning in to the speech sounds that characterise their native language. This process allows young children to break into the stream of speech and eventually map sound onto meaning.
"Fluctuating hearing loss due to OM during the early years of life presents the child with an intermittent speech signal that is difficult to process."
According to Dr Winskel, while earlier studies have indicated that ongoing middle ear infections in young children appear to be linked with poor language and literacy skills these studies have also produced conflicting results.
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