[ollow-up study of otitis media with effusion in newborns and infants].

Objective: To study the natural history of otitis media with effusion (OME) in infants, to guide clinical observation and treatment. Method: Newborns and infants born who failed newborn hearing screening and diagnosed OME were studied. Those with OME were diagnosed within 3 months old and followed-up. All subjects were examined with tympanometry once a month and with whole audiometric evaluation once three months. The causes, the time of recovery, and the disease course were analyzed in 46 infants followed-up at least 6 months. Result: 24 infants were failed bilateral and 22 with monaural in initial hearing screening. 22 infants were failed bilateral and 24 with monaural in repeated screening. The failed ears side changed in 2 with monaural. 69 ears (bilateral in 23 cases and unilateral in 23 cases) were diagnosed OME. In these 69 ears, the 226 Hz tympanograms showed type A, type B, or type C, the 1 000 Hz tympanograms had no peak, the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) were not found, the response thresholds of auditory brainstem response (ABR) were 20-60 dBnHL. 37 cases (80.4%) were recovered, and 9 cases were unrecovered. The first recovered case was in 4 months old, the last one was in 18 months old. 29 recovered cases were followed-up less than 6 months (with 9 months old), 7 cases in the 9 unrecovered cases did not return visit after followed-up 6 months, but they were found that the hearing level improved by the telephone follow-up. The other 2 cases showed recurrence and from unilateral ear to both ears. The causes included choking milk, rhinobyon, and cold repeatedly. Conclusion: OME in infants has the self-healing nature. We suggest to observe the infants for a long time. Avoiding the causes is benefit to self-healing.