Does prompt tympanostomy improve speech, language, and cognitive development?(Journal Watch: Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine)

Does prompt tympanostomy improve speech, language, and cognitive development? * Pediatricians have been haunted by concerns that chronic middle-ear effusion (MEE)--prevalent during the critical period for speech and language development--causes later impairment in learning and language skills. Although current practice sanctions placement of tympanostomy tubes for MEE persisting 3 months or longer, evidence to support this treatment is limited. In this long-term, prospective study, researchers enrolled 6350 infants (age range, 2 to 61 days) who were regularly evaluated for MEE throughout their first 3 years of life. Treatment was directed by established guidelines.

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