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Grommet insertion in children: a survey of parental perceptions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

A. Karkanevatos
Affiliation:
Departments of Otolaryngology, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Southport, U.K.
T. H. J. Lesser*
Affiliation:
Departments of Otolaryngology, Liverpool and Southport General Infirmary, Southport, U.K.
*
Address for correspondence: Mr T. H. J. Lesser, Consultant ENT Surgeon, Southport General Infirmary, Scarisbrick New Road, Southport, Merseyside PR8 6PH.

Abstract

Grommet insertion is a widely accepted method of treatment of glue ear in children. There have been questions raised over the last few years about the indications for grommets and whether assessing the hearing alone is an efficient outcome measure. Parental pressure accounts for one of the factors that is taken into consideration when the decision to insert grommets for glue ear is made. In this paper, a prospective questionnaire is used to investigate the parental perceptions of the effectiveness of grommet insertion in children, focusing on alternative outcome measures such as general health, language, and social skills. The results of this survey suggest that grommet insertion causes improvement in many factors other than hearing and this seems to account for the parental pressure for siblings to have grommet insertion.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1998

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