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Ear disease 'mini-epidemic' in childcare
September 11, 2008, 7:15 am
A mini-epidemic of middle ear infections is hitting kids in childcare, with the disease costing the health system more than $163 million annually, an expert says.
Seven out of 10 children will have at least one case of middle ear disease by their first birthday, an Access Economics report released on Wednesday indicates.
The report puts the annual cost of the disease to the health system at $163.3 million, with the cost of loss of well-being at up to $2.6 billion a year.
Clinical professor Harvey Coates, an ear, nose and throat surgeon at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth, said the number of children affected by middle ear disease was concerning.
About one fifth of children in full-time day care suffer from "glue ear", when fluid remains in the middle ear after an infection is treated.
"Daycare centres have been the major cause of the "mini-epidemic" and the rise in glue ear in the last 30 and 40 years," he said.
Prof Coates said children should be referred to a specialist if they have had more than three middle ear infections within six months.
"It's important that parents are vigilant about the possibility of middle ear disease in their child," he said.
An estimated 575,444 Australians will be affected by mild to moderate temporary hearing impairment caused by middle ear disease this year.
Fifteen children will suffer permanent hearing loss as a result of the disease.
Of the 659,000 people to suffer from middle ear disease this year, 10 per cent will be indigenous Australians who comprise just 2.5 per cent of the overall population.
Prof Coates said the incidence of middle ear disease was particularly high in remote Aboriginal communities.
"In the indigenous population, hearing loss and the loss of ability to learn language, speech - the long-term effect of that on vocational aspirations is huge," he said. |
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发表于 11-9-2008 12:38:28
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