Prevalence of ear diseases in the children of Delhi

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and profile of ear diseases in children from Delhi, India. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional door-to-door survey was carried out in two districts of Delhi, and involved children of all demographic sections of the region. A total of 4626 children aged between 18 days and 15 years underwent examinations including otoscopy, impedance audiometry and hearing screening. RESULTS: In all, 14.8 per cent of the study sample was diagnosed with one or more ear morbidities, the most common being cerumen impaction (7.5 per cent) and chronic suppurative otitis media (3.6 per cent). There was clinical evidence of otitis media with effusion in 2 per cent of children, and 0.96 per cent had otitis externa (bacterial and fungal). The point prevalence of acute suppurative otitis media was 0.39 per cent. In all, 0.45 per cent of children were found to have an undiagnosed foreign body within the ear canal. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of ear disease poses a significant public health problem in Delhi.