Does otitis media in early childhood affect later behavioural development? Results from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study

Abstract

Objectives

To examine the relationship between early life episodes of otitis media and later behavioural development with adjustment for confounders.

Design

Longitudinal cohort study.

Setting: The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study recruited 2900 pregnant women from King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) in Perth, Western Australia, between 1989 and 1991.

Participants

Data from the children born were collected at both the Year 3 and Year 5 follow up. At Year 3, n = 611 were diagnosed with recurrent otitis media through parent-report and clinical examination. At Year 5, n = 299 were considered exposed to otitis media based upon tympanometry results.

Main Outcome Measures

Performance in the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), a questionnaire completed by the primary caregiver at Year 10.

Results

Significant associations were found between recurrent otitis media at Year 3 and internalising behaviours (P = 0.011), and the somatic (P = 0.011), withdrawn (P = 0.014), attention (P = 0.003) and thought problems domains (P = 0.021), and the total CBCL score (P = 0.010). A significant association was also found between exposure to otitis media at Year 5 and externalising behaviours (P = 0.026).

Conclusions

A modest association was seen between recurrent otitis media at Year 3 and exposure to otitis media at Year 5 and a number of behaviour domains at Year 10.

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