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BERA in children with hearing loss and delayed speech

J M Al-Kandari1, W B Alshuaib, M Joe

  • 1Audiology & Speech Clinic, Ahmadi Hospital, Kuwait.

Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology
|April 13, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) identified hearing loss in 42% of children with suspected hearing loss and 63% of those with delayed speech. Early hearing tests are crucial for timely intervention in children.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Audiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Hearing loss is a significant factor affecting speech development in children.
  • Objective neurophysiological methods like BERA are essential for accurate hearing threshold evaluation.
  • Diagnosing retrocochlear lesions requires specialized audiological assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hearing levels in children with suspected hearing loss or pathological speech development.
  • To assess the utility of Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA) in pediatric audiology.
  • To determine the prevalence of different degrees of hearing loss in a pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA) diagnostic procedure was employed.
  • The study included 184 children aged 1 to 12 years.
  • Data was collected at Ahmadi Hospital in Kuwait.

Main Results:

  • Profound hearing loss was observed in 13 children, severe in 8, moderate in 34, and mild in 34.
  • Normal hearing was found in 95 children.
  • 42% of children with suspected hearing loss had some degree of impairment; 63% of children with delayed speech had hearing loss contributing to the delay.

Conclusions:

  • Early hearing screening for children is essential, even with slight parental or physician suspicion.
  • The findings support the establishment of newborn hearing screening programs in Kuwait.
  • Timely audiological evaluation and intervention, including hearing aids, are critical for children with hearing loss.
Abstract

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