The effect of otitis media with effusion on phonological performance of preschool children

Objectives Phonological development is dependent on the integrity of the auditory system. Otitis media with effusion (OME) may affect speech perception in children and therefore phonological development. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of persistent OME on the phonological performance of preschool children. Methods Sixty children with persistent OME who were candidates for myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion were included in this prospective observational study. We assessed their phonological skills before and after surgery (3 and 6 months) by phonological production tasks that included calculation of percentage of consonants correct (PCC) and process density index (PDI). Results We detected preoperative poor phonological performance in 91.7% of children. We found statistically significant differences in PCC and PDI between the three time periods. Also, there was a significant improvement after 6 months compared to 3 months. Conclusions OME has an adverse consequence on the phonological performance of preschool children, it can affect different domains such as PCC and PDI. The findings of this study revealed that myringotomy with ventilation tube insertion for children with persistent OME could aid in the development of intact phonological skills.