Rates of Ear Disease in Children Visiting a Mobile Community Ear Clinic in New Zealand—Two-Year Study of Over 2,000 Children

Abstract

Aims: To describe rates of middle ear disease in children attending a nurse-led mobile community ear clinic over a 2-year period in Wellington, New Zealand. Methods: Analysis of records of ear examination carried out over a 2-year period to identify rates of middle ear disease in children aged 0 to 18 years. All data were collected at the time of consultation. Otitis media with effusion (OME) being a common middle ear disease in children was investigated in more detail. Results: 2,273 children were seen in the ear clinic between July 2004 and June 2006. Nearly one in three children (28%) was diagnosed as having OME at their first ear clinic visit. Males of Pacific Island ethnicity, aged between 0 to 4 years had the highest rates (48.3%) of OME. Conclusions: Chronic middle ear disease continues to be a significant problem for children in New Zealand, particularly in the Hutt Valley (Wellington) region. This study showed that the childhood rate of ear disease continues to be unacceptably high. Chronic middle ear disease is a serious health risk for children, and could reach epidemic proportions if more resources are not allocated to the management of this disease in New Zealand. Repeated episodes of otitis media can result in hearing loss, language delay, difficulties in literacy, lowered school achievement, and other areas of learning at school. Effective prevention, detection, and intervention continue to be a significant public health challenge for this ever increasing disease, especially in children of Pacific Island origin. It is important that all children are seen as early as possible to ensure timely and appropriate care to minimize the impact of impaired hearing on early childhood development. Greater public health resources are required to minimize the impact of this disease, especially in Pacific Island children.