Short-term benefits of grommet insertion in children

It is commonly acknowledged that otitis media with effusion (OME) can cause behavioural disturbances and that this can be relieved by grommet insertion. However, this widely-held perception has not been documented in the literature. In this study parents were asked to complete a short behavioural questionnaire on the day of the admission and 6 weeks later. A total of 32 children admitted to the Day Care Unit for insertion of grommets at The Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, London, UK, were recruited. There was a significant behavioural change, evident by the difference in the scores before and after grommet insertion (P < 0.001).