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Adverse perinatal conditions in hearing-impaired children in a developing country
Bolajoko O Olusanya1, Angela A Okolo
1Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, UK. boolusanya@aol.com
Insights
Adverse perinatal conditions like birth asphyxia and neonatal jaundice significantly increase the risk of permanent childhood hearing loss. Early detection services are crucial for maternal and child health programs in developing nations.
Area of Science:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Pediatric Audiology
- Public Health in Developing Countries
Background:
- Adverse perinatal conditions are linked to mortality in developing countries, but their impact on permanent childhood disabilities, including hearing loss, is understudied due to data limitations.
- Limited clinical investigations and medical records hinder understanding the full spectrum of long-term childhood morbidities associated with perinatal complications.
- This research addresses the gap by examining parent-reported adverse perinatal events and their association with permanent hearing loss in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parent-reported adverse perinatal conditions and permanent hearing loss in children.
- To identify specific perinatal risk factors contributing to permanent hearing loss.
- To inform the integration of early hearing loss detection services into existing maternal and child health programs.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted in Lagos, Nigeria, involving 363 parents of deaf children and 309 parents of normal-hearing children.
- Structured questionnaires were used to collect parent-reported data on perinatal conditions and family history.
- Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify significant risk factors for permanent hearing loss.
Main Results:
- Birth asphyxia (OR 20.45), difficult delivery (OR 8.09), neonatal jaundice (OR 2.45), and neonatal seizures (OR 2.30) were significantly associated with permanent hearing loss.
- Consanguineous marriages (OR 6.69) and a family history of deafness (OR 6.27) were identified as additional risk factors.
- Parents of deaf children in state schools were more likely to be from higher social classes compared to parents of hearing children in mainstream schools.
Conclusions:
- Adverse perinatal events, including birth asphyxia, difficult delivery, neonatal jaundice, and seizures, are significant risk factors for permanent hearing loss.
- Consanguinity and family history of deafness further increase the risk of hearing impairment.
- There is a critical need to integrate early detection services for permanent hearing loss into maternal and child healthcare programs in developing countries to address service needs effectively.
Abstract:
Prevailing adverse perinatal conditions in developing countries have been associated with substantial mortality, but little evidence exists on their impact on permanent childhood disabilities and morbidity due to limitations in clinical investigations and medical records. This study aims to identify the possible association between parent-reported adverse perinatal conditions and permanent hearing loss, in order to establish service needs within current maternal and child health programmes. Structured questionnaires were administered to 363 parents of deaf children and 309 parents of normal-hearing children in an inner city area of Lagos, Nigeria. The parents were from all social classes. After a multivariable logistic regression analysis, birth asphyxia [OR 20.45; 95% CI 6.26, 66.85], difficult delivery [OR 8.09; 95% CI 2.76, 23.68], neonatal jaundice [OR 2.45; 95% CI 1.25, 4.79] and neonatal seizures [OR 2.30; 95% CI 1.09, 4.85] were associated with permanent hearing loss. Consanguineous marriages [OR 6.69; 95% CI 2.72, 16.46] and family history of deafness [OR 6.27; 95% CI 2.07, 18.97] also emerged as additional risk factors for permanent hearing loss. In addition, parents of children in state-owned schools for the deaf were significantly more likely to belong to higher social classes compared with normal-hearing children in mainstream state-owned schools. There is a need to incorporate services for the early detection of permanent hearing loss into current maternal and child healthcare programmes in developing countries.
