A cross-sectional analysis of otitis media with effusion in children with Down syndrome

Abstract

Children with Down syndrome are at risk to develop otitis media with effusion (OME). We performed a retrospective and cross-sectional analysis to evaluate the prevalence of OME in children with Down syndrome (DS) for consecutive age categories between 6 months and 12 years. Clinical and audiometric data were available for 107 children followed in a multidisciplinary Down team. A high prevalence of OME was found at the age of 1 year (66.7 %), with a second peak prevalence of 60 % at 6-7 years. A declining trend was observed in children ≥8 years. Overall, 52.3 % of DS children had either OME or ventilation tubes at the time of evaluation. Hearing thresholds were significantly higher in children with bilateral OME (median 36.7 decibel hearing level (dB HL), range 26.7-46.1) compared to those with at least one normally ventilated middle ear (median 28.3 dB HL, range 22.8-3.3), p = 0.013.

Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of OME in children with Down syndrome, with a peak of ≥60 % around 1 and 6-7 years. A declining trend is seen in older children. Mild to moderate hearing loss was present in children with bilateral OME.