Preschoolers, clear speech and middle ear infections

What do these three things have to do with each other? In the preschool age range, there is a massive development in the clarity of clear speech that occurs from age two to five years. There is also a huge potential for middle ear fluid or infections to occur, sometimes with no outward symptoms. The presence of fluid or infection in the middle ear can have a mild to profound effect on the child’s clear speech development. This might mean that grommets are a consideration.

But how do you know if your child has a middle ear infection or fluid? How do you know if your child’s speech is being affected? What are grommets and how can they help?

Middle ear fluid or infections generally are caused by a blockage building up inside the back of the nose/throat area. There is a small curled tube that goes from the back… Continue reading →