Jack L. Paradise|Thomas F. Campbell|Christine A. Dollaghan|Heidi M. Feldman|Beverly S. Bernard|D. Kathleen Colborn|Howard E. Rockette|Janine E. Janosky|Dayna L. Pitcairn|Marcia Kurs?Lasky|Diane L. Sabo|Clyde G. Smith
Developmental Outcomes after Early or Delayed Insertion of Tympanostomy Tubes
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh|Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh|Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh|Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
prevent later developmental impairments myringotomy insertion tympanostomy tubes often undertaken young children persistent otitis media effusion previously reported prompt compared delayed insertion tympanostomy tubes children persistent effusion younger three years age result improved developmental outcomes three four years age however effect outcomes schoolage children unknownwe enrolled 6350 healthy infants younger 62 days age evaluated regularly middleear effusion three years age 429 children persistent middleear effusion randomly assigned tympanostomy tubes inserted either promptly nine months later effusion persisted assessed developmental outcomes 395 children six years ageat six years age 85 percent children earlytreatment group 41 percent delayedtreatment group received tympanostomy tubes significant differences mean sd scores favoring early versus delayed treatment 30 measures including wechsler fullscale intelligence quotient 9813 vs 9814 number different words test measure word diversity 18336 vs 17536 percentage consonants correctrevised test measure speechsound production 962 vs 963 scan test measure central auditory processing 9515 vs 9614 several measures behavior emotionin otherwise healthy children younger three years age persistent middleear effusion within duration effusion studied prompt insertion tympanostomy tubes improve developmental outcomes six years age