Effects of otitis media on child development

Abstract

Otitis media is one of the most common diseases of childhood, and the broad continuum of this disease ranges from asymptomatic middle ear effusion to recurring or persistent infection. In spite of many modalities of successful treatment, there remains a large number of children with chronic otitis media after antibiotic management and even in some persistent cases after surgical management with ventilation and tube insertion. This report attempts to concisely review the studies on the effect of otitis media on childhood development.