Study Funded for Toddler Ear Infections and Hearing Loss

Ear infections are the most common reason preschoolers go to the doctor. The Medical College of Wisconsin won a new, 5-year grant to study this condition, which can lead to hearing loss at a time when toddlers are learning language skills.

Dr. Joseph Kerschner will use a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study fluid buildup in the ear following infection that can cause hearing loss. “So what we’re really doing with this study is saying, okay, what are the characteristics of these kids that have bad hearing loss? And then, in some animal models, we’re looking at what happens on the molecular level with different bacterial combinations.”

Antibiotics are the most common treatment for ear infections caused by bacteria. However, Kerschner says this does not always work for stubborn infections. “In children that are having chronic difficulty with ear infections or having chronic hearing loss, the real answer is that antibiotics don’t do much for those kids and many of those kids end up having to go on to surgical therapy. “

Nationally, about a million ear tubes are surgically inserted in children every year. The tubes allow air to get to the middle ear so fluid can drain. That fluid can prevent the eardrum from vibrating normally.