PARENT CORNER
Middle Ear Infections Can Affect Language Development

By Patricia von Oelhoffen

Language development is the foundation for later success in school and is essential for social relationships, reading, and other everyday activities. Too frequently, however, young children’s language development is interrupted for a variety of reasons, including illness.

Middle ear infection, or otitis media, is one of the most common illnesses to affect early language development. It is also one of the most frequent health problems for preschool children, second only to the common cold. Most children have had at least one ear infection by age 1, while up to 35% of children 1-3 years of age have repeated episodes. School-aged children in the U.S. miss an estimated 5 million school days every year due to ear infections.

The middle ear space, which is located behind the eardrum, usually contains air. When fluid is present, inflammation can build up and persist, altering the way in which three tiny bones in the middle ear function as they carry vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. As a result, these vibrations are not transmitted properly and sound energy is lost, resulting in hearing loss. Usually the loss is temporary, but when acute infections recur and a thick “glue-like” fluid accumulates, damage to the eardrum, the bones, or the nerve can occur.

Parents should be concerned about drainage from the ear even when infection is not present. In a condition known as otitis media with effusion, a thin, clear, uninfected fluid escapes from the ear for a short period. Effusion can occur without pain or fever, and so can go unnoticed for weeks. During that time, a child may miss out on hearing sounds needed for normal development.

Parents and other caregivers should be alert for signs that suggest a child is having trouble hearing and should arrange for immediate evaluation by a pediatrician or otolaryngologist (ear doctor). If the child has frequent infections and/or chronic fluid in the middle ear, visits to an audiologist and a speech-language pathologist may be indicated.

With early identification, even serious conditions can usually be controlled through medication or surgery. The important thing to remember is that middle ear infections need to be treated right away in order to prevent lifelong consequences to children’s hearing and language development.

For more detailed information, consult the U.S. Department of Education publication Ear Infections and Language Development. You can get it by mail through ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398; by telephone at (877) 4ED-PUBS; or online at www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html.