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Ocular profile among hearing impaired children
Khayria A Al-Abduljawad1, Hela A Al-Hussain, Amal A Dasugi
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 105595, Riyadh 11656, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. khayria_audio@hotmail.com
Insights
Ocular abnormalities are significantly more common in children with hearing loss compared to normal-hearing children. Early eye exams for hearing-impaired children are recommended to detect and correct vision issues.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Hearing impairment is a significant concern in childhood.
- Ocular abnormalities can co-occur with hearing loss, impacting development.
- Limited data exists on the prevalence of ocular issues in hearing-impaired pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of ocular abnormalities in children with sensorineural hearing loss.
- To compare the occurrence of ocular abnormalities and refractive errors between hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children.
Main Methods:
- Ophthalmological screening of 302 children (aged <15 years) with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
- Visual testing, cycloplegic refraction, and retinal examinations were performed.
- 100 normal-hearing children served as controls; statistical analysis used the chi-square test.
Main Results:
- 61% of hearing-impaired children had ocular abnormalities; 48.7% had refractive errors.
- Refractive errors were significantly more prevalent in the hearing-impaired group (p<0.001).
- Boys constituted 66% of the hearing-impaired cohort.
Conclusions:
- Ocular anomalies are more frequent in children with hearing impairment.
- Routine ophthalmological assessment is crucial for early detection in hearing-impaired children.
- Timely correction of ocular issues can improve academic performance.
Objective:
To report ocular abnormalities among identified hearing impaired children and their prevalence in relation to normal hearing children.
Methods:
A sample of 302 identified children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital and Rehabilitation Medical Center of the Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after full audiological assessment, aged below 15 years, were screened ophthalmologically during the period from December 1997 to December 2002. Visual testing and cycloplegic refraction using 1% Cyclogyl was performed followed by retinal examination using direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Electroretinography was recorded for those with retinal pigmentary changes. One hundred control normal hearing children were examined, and chi square test applied.
Results:
A total of 302 hearing impaired children were examined, 199 (66%) were boys and 103 (34%) were girls, age ranged between 2-15 years. Hearing loss was bilateral severe to profound. One hundred and eighty-four (61%) have one or more ocular abnormalities, while 147 (48.7%) had one or more significant error of refraction. In the control cases, 23% had error of refraction with a chi square test of 20.2 (p<0.001), which is significant.
Conclusion:
Ocular anomalies are more commonly found among deaf children than those with normal hearing. Early ophthalmological assessment of hearing impairment is advisable to detect any ocular anomalies, followed by correction to help in the academic performance of these children.
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