Effect of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media in Infancy and Early Childhood on Developmental Outcome

Background: A main indication for the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media in infants and young children is that this condition may cause lasting impairments of language, cognitive, and psychosocial development. However, evidence of such relations is inconclusive. Methods: 350 children with bilateral chronic suppurative otitis media and having their ages ranging from 9 months to 5 years were enrolled in this study. After full otolaryngological evaluation, 102 children having their ages ranging from 2.5 to 3 years old with persistent or recurrent bilateral ear discharge for more than a year and started their ear discharge at the age of 2-9 months old were selected and referred for developmental assessment after audiological assessment. Fifty normal children with the same age group were included as control. Developmental assessment included language, cognition, and psychosocial development. Results: Developmental Quotient (D.Q) of language development showed a barely significant difference between the group of chronic suppurative otitis media and the control group, while the D.Q. scores of cognition and psychosocial development as well as their mean D.Q. showed no difference. Conclusions: Bilateral chronic suppurative otitis media and ear discharge for more than one year in infancy and early childhood does not measurably affect the developmental outcomes in children at the age of three years despite the slightly affected language development.