OTOACOUSTIC EMISSION REGISTRATION CHARACTERISTICS IN CHILDREN OF THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF LIFE AFTER ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA

Data on the frequency and nature of hearing impairment in newborns and children during the first months of life after acute otitis media are contradictory. Otoacoustic emission is one of the methods for assessing the hearing function in infants. The main advantages of this method are objectivity, non-invasiveness, speed and accuracy. Objectives. To evaluate the features of otoacoustic emission registration at the frequency of the product distortion in children of the first 3 months of life after an acute inflammation of the middle ear. Material and methods. Distortion-product otoacoustic emission was performed in 36 children after complete recovery from acute otitis media (main group) and in 32 children without otitis media (comparison group). The estimation of the amplitude and spectrum of the response received was performed. The analysis of the otoacoustic response at frequencies of 1 kHz, 1.5 kHz, 2 kHz, 3 kHz, 4 kHz, 5 kHz, 6 kHz, 8 kHz was carried out. Results. Otoacoustic emission was registered in 74.2% of investigations in the comparison group, in 56.0% of observations in otoscopically healthy ears in case of unilateral inflammation, in 35.1% of cases after a non-suppurative form of the disease, and only in 15.4% of cases after a purulent form of acute otitis media. Statistically significant differences were revealed in the frequency of registration of otoacoustic emission in children of the examined groups. The greatest amplitude of the signal/noise relationship was recorded at frequencies of 5 and 6 kHz, and the smallest one at the frequency of 1 kHz in all studied groups. Conclusions. A decrease in auditory function is observed in children of the first 3 months of life after past acute otitis media. This is confirmed by significantly higher rate of absence of otoacoustic emission in this group of patients. Distortion-product otoacoustic emission in children of the first 3 months of life is recommended to be carried out at frequencies of 1.5 kHz and higher.