MIAMI.- Ear infections are a common childhood experience, but a new study suggests parents should take them seriously to preserve their children’s language development because each episode can potentially affect hearing by building up fluid behind the eardrum, according to a study. study.
Research conducted by scientists at the University of Florida (UF) reveals that when ear infections become chronic, this temporary and repeated hearing loss can lead to deficits in auditory processing and language development in children years later.
“Ear infections are so common that we tend to dismiss them as having no long-term effects. We should take all ear infections seriously,” said Susan Nittrouer, lead researcher and UF professor of speech, language and hearing sciences in the College of Public Health and Health Professions.
“Parents should be aware that their child may have some fluid in the middle ear without it being painful and work with their doctor to monitor it closely,” the specialist said.
The research methodology at UF studied the auditory processing and language development of 117 children ages 5 to 10 with and without a history of chronic ear infections in early childhood.
On average, children with several ear infections before age three had smaller vocabularies and had a harder time finding words with similar sounds than children with few or no ear infections. They also had difficulty detecting changes in sounds, a sign of problems in the auditory processing centers of your brain.
One takeaway, Nittrouer says, is for parents, doctors and speech therapists to continue monitoring children long after the last earache goes away. Some language deficiencies may only become apparent in later grades.
Auditory processing
Three tests were used to assess language development and auditory processing. In one test, children had to detect which of three cute cartoon characters sounded different from the other two. This involved manipulating patterns of volume or amplitude change over time.
“The better you can recognize this change in amplitude over time, the better you can recognize the structure of speech,” Nittrouer said.
The second task asked children to name the pictures presented to them, a measure of their vocabulary size. Finally, children were asked to match words according to whether they began or ended with the same speech sound, a task essential not only for speech development but also for reading acquisition.
According to Nittrouer, Early treatment of ear infections can help prevent fluid buildup that harms language development. If ear infections are common and fluid builds up, tubes temporarily placed in the eardrum can help drain the fluid and restore hearing, which should lead to a lower risk of delayed development of the central auditory pathways and less problems acquiring language.
The University of Florida plans to continue this research by including children at risk for delays in auditory development for other reasons, including premature birth.
Ear pain is very common in childhood
The most common cause is otitis. Less frequently, wax plugs or wounds from using cotton swabs can also cause pain.
Otitis are ear infections and can be of two types:
- Otitis media. They occur during colds, when the infection reaches the middle ear. They can cause pain, fever, vomiting, and discharge of mucus or pus from the ear. Ear infections are not contagious, but the colds that precede them are.
- External otitis. They are caused by humidity, heat or scratching the skin at the entrance to the ear. They are common in summer and among pool users. They can cause itching, pain and, sometimes, fluid leaking from the ear. They don’t usually cause fever.
You may suspect otitis if your son or daughter touches his or her ear frequently., it hurts when you touch or move your ear, or when you eat. The pain may persist at night. In babies you should suspect it if they are more irritable or cry more frequently, especially when breastfeeding or bottle-feeding and at night.
Wax plugs: wax protects against skin infections. Plugs should only be removed when they cause pain or on medical recommendation. Going to the pediatrician is advisable.
Source: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA / SEMFYC / DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS EDITORIAL
