Secretory otitis media is defined as an accumulation of fluid in the middle ear that is not associated with the signs and symptoms of acute otitis media. The tympanic membrane is amber or darkened, planes of air and fluid or bubbles are visible, and the mobility of the tympanic membrane is reduced.
In China, 1 in 8 children experience secretory otitis media or acute otitis media (12.5%). In China, there are nearly 200 million primary and secondary school students in school, and 20 million kindergarten children, 1/8 means that about 25 million children have experienced secretory otitis media or acute otitis media. 5 million children in the United States suffer from acute otitis media each year, and the annual prescription Antibiotic medication costs alone exceed $10 million per year. The cumulative incidence of otitis media in infants and children is mainly secretory otitis media. The cumulative incidence of the first episode of secretory otitis media in infants and children ranges from 35%-85% at 6 months of age and 50%-96% at 1 year of age. In some children, otitis media resolves on its own within 3 months, while in 30-40% of children, otitis media recurs, and in 5-10% of children, otitis media persists for more than 1 month.
Parents are reminded that infants and children with secretory otitis media may have the following manifestations.
(1) Mild intermittent ear pain and a feeling of ear swelling and fullness. Infants may exhibit frequent ear scratching, irritability, and easy awakening from sleep.
(2) Infants respond poorly to surrounding sounds and are unable to turn their heads accurately toward the source of sound.
(3) Hearing loss, even if the child does not actively tell the parents, parents should observe the child rambling, changing behavior, not responding to normal conversation, and always turning up the sound when watching TV or using hearing devices.
(4) Unstable academic performance, poor balance, unexplained clumsiness, and motor (e.g., playing badminton, etc.) retardation.
(5) Delayed speech and language development.
If a child has any of the above phenomena, parents should take the child to a hospital or professional institution to have the child’s ears checked. If the child is diagnosed with secretory otitis media, parents should pay attention to the following matters to prevent hearing deterioration since the baby’s ears are in a state of infestation after having secretory otitis media.
(1) Take care to prevent milk spillage or choking.
(2) Avoid upper respiratory tract infections as much as possible.
(3) Avoid unnecessary noise.
(4) Prohibit the use of ototoxic drugs.
(5) Try to be careful not to let water enter the ear canal when bathing.
If your child is examined and diagnosed by a doctor as having secretory otitis media, please do not panic and actively cooperate with the doctor for treatment. There are generally two types of treatment options: non-surgical treatment is for children within 3 months of the onset of the disease, which requires close observation and is recommended to be followed up once every 2 to 4 weeks. In contrast, when secretory otitis media persists for more than 3 months with hearing loss or other symptoms, persistent or recurrent secretory otitis media with the presence of high-risk factors (permanent hearing loss, delayed or impaired speech development, autism, cognitive and speech expression disorders caused by genetically related syndromes, craniofacial developmental abnormalities, cleft palate, etc.) or when the hearing level in the better ear during the observation period is only 40dbHL or worse When it is poor, surgical treatment should be undertaken.
When breastfeeding your baby, special attention should be paid to.
(1) Whether breastfeeding or formula feeding, breastfeeding should be done in the correct position, do not let the baby lie flat to feed, it is better to have the head slightly higher and in a semi-recumbent position.
(2) Try to pat your baby’s back patiently after feeding.
(3) For formula babies, pay attention to the pacifier hole to avoid your baby drinking too much milk, too quickly, and choking because it is too late to swallow.
(4) If your baby chokes, make your baby lie down on his side with his head slightly higher so that the corner of his mouth is low and milk flows out of the corner of his mouth.
The main prevention of secretory otitis media is to avoid the occurrence of a cold. If a cold does not occur, the chances of congestion and edema of the mucous membrane of the pharynx and nasopharynx are reduced, and the function of the pharyngeal tube will be in good condition. If a cold has already occurred, it should be diagnosed and treated promptly.
The degree of normal hearing is very important for the speech development of babies. During the critical period of speech development (0-3 years old), if there is hearing impairment, it will affect the speech development of babies, even if the hearing impairment is mild to moderate, it will make the baby’s inaudible to some sounds and lead to Delayed speech development and slurred speech. Therefore, it is important to fully understand your baby’s hearing condition during the critical period of speech development, and to communicate with professionals in a timely manner to obtain professional consultation and guidance.