Otitis media in Australian aboriginal children

It has long been recognised that Australian Aboriginal children are at high risk for otitis media and concomitant conductive hearing losses. Nevertheless, Aboriginal children continue to suffer educationally significant hearing losses throughout infancy and the school years, and the chronic, untreated ear infections continue to place many young Aboriginal people at high risk for permanent ear damage resulting in mild-to-moderate (and sometimes severe) hearing loss in adulthood. The aetiology and hearing loss effects of the ear infections are poorly understood and there is need for research into effective medical treatments, into audiological aspects and classroom hearing aid development, and into educational effects and management. This article provides an overview of the problem, and of the research and service development needs of this relatively large group of hearing-impaired children in Australia.