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[Hearing loss in infancy. Who first suspects it? A descriptive analysis?].
1Abt. Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. ckiese@med.uni-goettingen.de
HNO
|December 16, 2004
Summary
Parents frequently detect childhood hearing impairment (HI) before professionals do. Early parental suspicion is crucial for timely diagnosis and intervention, especially for sensorineural hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Childhood hearing impairment (HI) diagnosis relies on timely detection.
- Assessing the sensitivity of suspicion for identifying HI in children is critical.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the sensitivity of suspicion leading to the diagnosis of childhood hearing impairment (HI).
- To evaluate the age and initiators of suspicion for congenital or early-onset HI.
Main Methods:
- Questionnaires administered to parents of children with confirmed HI.
- Data collected from 185 parents regarding children aged 1 to 120 months.
- Evaluation of who first suspected HI: parents versus healthcare professionals.
Main Results:
- Parents were the first to suspect HI in 46% of cases, significantly more often than professionals.
- Parental suspicion was higher for sensorineural HI (52%) compared to conductive HI (20%).
- Significant delays were observed: an average of 13.2 months from parental suspicion to diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural HI, with late hearing aid fitting.
Conclusions:
- Parental observation is a valuable component of early HI detection strategies.
- Findings support integrating parental awareness into HI screening protocols pending universal newborn hearing screening implementation.