[Measurement of the middle ear pressure in preventive examinations of children].

Tympanometry was performed in 247 children at the prophylactic examinations. The children were aged from 15 months to five years and were included consecutively and examined only once. In 9% it did not prove possible to perform satisfactory tympanograms. 37% had initially pathological tympanometric findings. The frequency of pathological tympanometric findings was found to decrease with increasing age. Pathological tympanometric findings were found to be significantly more frequent in boys. Twenty-two children (8% of the material) were tubulated. It is considered that tympanometry is a useful method for employment in general practice but that further investigations from general practice are still required.