Objective: To discuss the relationship between secretory otitis media (SOM) and language disorder in children.
Method: In 1108 language disorder cases, auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and acoustic immittance were measured respectively. According to the ABR threshold, all the children were divided into four groups: the normal group, the mild hearing loss group, the middle hearing loss group and the severe hearing loss group.
Result: Of all the ears examined, 59.5% had hearing loss, while 12.64% had SOM. In the children of language disorder, the distribute of the "B" type tympanograph from much to little was:the mild hearing loss group, the middle hearing loss group, the severe hearing loss group and the normal group ( P < 0.01). The average hearing threshold of a part children with SOM decreased after therapy ( P < 0.01). The children with the severe hearing loss had no evident changes after therapy.
Conclusion: Hearing disorder is the main cause of language disorder in children. While SOM recovers in children with mild or middle hearing loss, the language in part of them could be improved. However, the language in those who with severe hearing loss probably remains the primary level.