Middle ear abnormalities at age 5 years in relation with early onset otitis media and number of episodes, in the Inuit population of Nunavik, Quebec, Canada.
Otitis media (OM) and their sequelae are a major health issue in the Inuit population of Nunavik, Quebec. Hypotheses of the study were: (i) early onset OM leads to repeated OM; (ii) repeated OM episodes leads to middle ear abnormalities (MEA) at age 5 years, (iii) pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) may reduce multiple OM and MEA. Immunisation cards, medical records and audiology screening tests at age 5 years in a sample of 610 children born in 1994-2010 in 3 communities were reviewed. Children were classified into three categories using a score based on audiology screening tests: no abnormality, minor, or major MEA. The average number of OM episodes before age 5 years was 5.0 and 30% had minor and 17% major MEA at age 5 years. Community residency predicted both frequent (= 8) OM episodes and MEA. Early onset OM (age