New treatment centre for children suffering from otitis media

3/3/99
A new treatment centre will bring relief for young children who suffer from the deafening ailment called 'glue ear'.
Health Minister John Day said the State Government had committed $55,000 to help establish the new centre for the treatment of otitis media, or 'glue ear', in children.
Mr Day said the Children's Otitis Media Centre, located at the Speech and Hearing Centre for Deaf Children at Wembley, would assist children who have serious hearing and speech problems caused by otitis media.
Otitis media, commonly referred to as 'glue ear', is the medical term for an infection of the middle ear and can significantly affect a child's hearing, leading to difficulties with speech and language development.
"Eighty per cent of children will have at least one episode of acute otitis media by the time they reach the age of three, and up to 15 per cent of children under six will have a form of otitis media during the winter months," Mr Day said.
"Parents, who are concerned their child may have otitis media, will be able to bring their child to the centre for diagnosis."
Mr Day said children who had already been diagnosed with otitis media could also be referred to the centre for assessment and treatment.
"While antibiotics and other treatments may cure otitis media, in some cases children may require surgery to insert grommets, which are tiny plastic ventilation plugs, into the ear drum," he said.
"While not all children with otitis media will require grommets, more than 3,000 children are admitted to a West Australian hospital each year with the ear problem, with two-thirds of these cases occurring in children aged five years or younger."
Mr Day said the Children's Otitis Media Centre had the full support of a number of other health organisations and groups, including Curtin University and the University of WA, St John of God Hospital (Subiaco) and the medical professions such as ear, nose and throat specialists.
Media contact: Mark Thompson 9213 6600