An Animal Model for Assessment of Amniotic Fluid Clearance from the Middle Ear

Abstract

Taking into consideration that this is an animal study, the results suggest that clearance of amniotic fluid from the newborn middle ear takes longer than has been generally thought. In addition, an animal model for assessing the clearance of fluid from the middle ear has been developed.

Oto-104

“…Other investigators delivering polymers to the middle ear also have uncovered a shift in hearing threshold (16). Similar findings also have been reported after the IT administration of a saline solution (32).…”

Newborn Hearing Screening in Infants With Cleft Palates

“…Priner et al (13) question the former mechanism and, instead, propose that osmotic gradients are responsible for most of the clearance of fluid from the neonatal ME. In the neonate, the mechanical pressures and contractions during the birth process cause some loss of amniotic f luid in a similar manner to the loss of pulmonary fluid (17). The remaining f luid is cleared osmotically until the volume is reduced and concentrated, at which time the mucociliary system removes the remaining droplets (13).…”

“…The remaining f luid is cleared osmotically until the volume is reduced and concentrated, at which time the mucociliary system removes the remaining droplets (13). The reported age of complete aeration of the ME varies, ranging from 2 days to more than a week (14,17,19,20). This discussion of neonatal ME status is relevant when discussing the results of newborn hearing screens.…”