90% effective in avoiding the need for grommet surgery*, Moniri Otovent is a clinically proven drug-free and non-surgical parent assisted glue ear treatment suitable for children from 2 years of age. Kestrel Medical are the UK based distributors of Otovent, which is manufactured by Abigo in Sweden. They have now made the product available for purchase by UK, ROI and New Zealand residents.
What is glue ear?
Regulation of pressure in the middle ear is a recognised mechanism for the treatment of middle ear disorders in children. Negative pressure in the middle ear is normally equalised by yawning or swallowing, however if the mechanisms for regulating pressure are faulty gluey secretions can develop leading to hearing impairment. The technical term for this condition is Otitis Media with Effusion, but it is often referred to as glue ear.
What’s the impact of glue ear on children?
Glue ear is a painless condition which causes hearing loss. Difficulties related to hearing loss can manifest themselves in a variety of ways including social isolation, speech and language problems, learning challenges and clumsiness or balance problems. Once a child is suspected of suffering from glue ear they will often be sent away for an ‘active observation’ period before receiving a full diagnosis and access to treatment options. This wait can be very frustrating for many parents and of course the desire for treatment is made especially urgent if the child’s school work and social life are suffering.
The Otovent autoinflation device has been on the market for over twenty-five years and offers a cost effective, drug-free and non-surgical treatment option for parents. The device has been found to reduce grommet surgery referrals by up to 64%**. The introduction of Moniri Otovent means that children as young as 2 can now use the treatment.
How does the Moniri Otovent work?
Both Otovent and Moniri Otovent are autoinflation devices designed to provide the pressure required to open the Eustachian tube. This act ventilates the eustachian tube allowing the effusion to be cleared and relieving symptoms. Children consider inflating the balloon to be fun, which improves treatment compliance and ease of use. Clinical trials have found no negative effects.
Moniri Otovent differs from Otovent in that the parent is able to assist with compliance. The kit consists of a cuddly toy frog containing a pump which is attached to a nozzle, a balloon and a face mask for the child. If the child is struggling to inflate the balloon themselves the parent can use the pump to simulate the action of inflation. Use of the Moniri Otovent opens the eustachian tube in the same way as Otovent.
* Armin Bidarian-Moniri, Maria-João Ramos, Hasse Ejnell. Autoinfl ation for treatment of persistent otitis media with e usion in
children: A cross-over study with a 12-month follow-up, International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 2014.
** Stangerup S, Sederber-Olsen J, Balle V. Autoinflation as a Treatment of Secretory Otitis Media, Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg – Vol 118, February 1992