The Effects of the Early-onset Otitis Media on Cognitive Skills in Children: A Systematic Review

Some children are at risk of middle ear infections; however, the impact of the fluctuating hearing sensations on cognitive systems and immature central auditory is not fully recognized. Therefore, we reviewed and discussed the impact of early-otitis media on the cognitive skills of affected school-aged children.

A computerized search of the databases was conducted between January 2000 and December 2020 using the following keywords, including “otitis media” and “cognition” or “attention” or “memory” or “working memory” or “short term memory”.

After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and appraising the quality, seven studies were included and the data were extracted. Some of the articles reported a relationship between otitis media with effusion (OME) and cognitive deficits in 5 years old children and the other studies did not yield significant association.

It seems that children with OME experience difficulties in attention and memory; though, the relationship between early childhood OME and cognitive skills in children at school ages is not yet definitive and need more comprehensive and well-organized studies.