Otitis Media and Speech Delay in Children
Middle Ear Infection and Associated Language Difficulties
Jul 28, 2009
A child is said to have delayed speech if he or she acquires language normally but at a slower rate than is typically seen in other children. The child with delayed speech will sound like a much younger child. Delayed speech, the normally acquired but slowed down acquisition of language, differs from language disorders such as specific language impairment (SLI) where acquisition does not follow the typical pattern. More commonly found in boys than in girls, delayed speech might be a symptom of a number of conditions including learning disability, autism, serious social deprivation, an underlying language disorder, maturational delay and hearing loss.
Otitis Media and Hearing Loss
In childhood a condition known as otitis media or middle ear infection can lead to intermittent hearing loss. As a result, the child’s developing language skills may be delayed. Otitis media is a common childhood ailment. Following infection, the middle ear may fill with fluid. This fluid normally drains away through the Eustachian tube (the passage between the middle ear and the back of the throat). However, the Eustachian tube is smaller in children than in adults and more easily blocked by fluids that build up during colds or respiratory infections. Pain, fever and hearing loss may result. Normally this hearing loss is temporary but where there are repeated episodes of otitis media damage done to the hearing mechanism may be so severe as to result in permanent hearing impairment.
Otitis Media and Delayed Speech
The build up of fluids in the middle ear prevents sound vibrations being transmitted efficiently from the eardrum to the inner ear. As a result, speech may appear muffled or even inaudible to the affected child. The early years of life are crucial to language development. In children affected by otitis media the language environment may periodically become distorted thus affecting their acquisition of speech. When words sound distorted to the child, it is likely his or her own utterances will be mispronounced. Should otitis media occur frequently during a child’s formative years, his or her language development may suffer considerably necessitating the intervention of a speech and language therapist.
Symptoms of Otitis Media
As otitis media is frequently a painful condition, parents will be aware that the young child is unwell and seek medical advice. In other cases though, there may be little or no associated pain and considerable time may pass before anyone suspects a problem with serious consequences for the child’s hearing and speech development. Signs to watch for include the child putting the television up louder than usual, appearing inattentive, seeming to misunderstand comments or instructions, being listless or irritable and pulling at their ears. Occasionally, particularly in infants under the age of two years, there may be no symptoms and the condition is only detected during a routine medical check up.
For further information on speech and language disorders in childhood see The American Speech- Language-Hearing Association.
