Epidemiology of permanent childhood hearing impairment in Estonia, 1985-1990

This paper describes a retrospective study of permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) > or = 40 dB HL in the better ear in children born between 1985 and 1990 and resident in Estonia. The prevalence rate of all permanent hearing impairment for the birth cohort 1985-1990 was 172 (95 per cent (CI 151-194) per 100,000 live births and that of congenital impairment was 152 (CI 134-170) per 100,000. For the congenitally-impaired children, 11 per cent had stayed in a neonatal intensive care unit for 48 hours or more, 2 per cent had a craniofacial abnormality, and 31 per cent had a family history of PCHI. As for aetiology, hereditary causes were stated most frequently in 36 per cent of all of the cases of PCHI. The aetiology remained unknown in 34 per cent of cases. Additional disabilities were found in 23 per cent of all cases. Specific syndromes were recognized in 2 per cent of hereditary cases. The mean age at the confirmation of hearing impairment was 46.4 months and at hearing aid fitting 57.0 months. The results were compared with other European studies, particularly the Trent study.