Scientists developed the app using a "user-friendly" method that can quickly detect the presence of fluid in the middle ear – a likely indicator of ear infections.

Researchers say that the new system, which was tested on 98 young patients in a pediatric surgical centre, could provide a "low-cost and effective" tool for parents to detect ear infections such as acute otitis media (AOM), a leading cause of visits to doctors.

Some cases of AOM can lead to severe complications such as meningitis, while other pediatric ear conditions (such as otitis media with effusion) are associated with delays in speech and poorer school performance.