Prospective epidemiological study of common colds and secretory otitis media.

To evaluate how often a common cold induces secretory otitis media (SOM) two groups of young children were studied. One comprised 373 children aged 9 months to 7 years who were being minded in institutions. The other group consisted of 210 children not minded in day institutions or private day care. This latter group was subdivided into children minded at home or in private day care attended by not more than 2 children (117 children), and the remainder (93 children). Common colds were defined as nasal discharge, and tympanometry was carried out 6 times at 2-week intervals. Among the 1-year-olds common colds induced SOM in 83% of those minded in institutions and in 56% of those minded at home. At the age of 5 years this applied to 20% of both groups.