[Organization of medico-genetic counseling for hereditary hearing impairment]

High frequency of hereditary pathologies resulting in congenital and prelingual auditory inefficiency necessitates organization of readily available medico-genetic counseling services based at specialized centres and an integrated dispensary system for the observation of families at risk of hereditary hearing impairment and identification of high-risk groups among the general population. Correct clinical diagnosis provides a basis for the strategy of molecular-genetic examination of a given patient and members of his (her) family. Results of the examination can be used for family planning and the choice of measures for the prevention of recurrent cases. The objective of the present work was to draw up the main lines of cooperative activities of deafness specialists and geneticists, propose indications for medico-genetic counseling, and distinguish groups at high risk of development of hereditary hearing impairment among the affected subjects and in the general population. It is shown that the efficiency of measures for the prevention of hereditary hearing loss is directly related to the availability of medico-genetic aid and the degree of involvement of risk groups in the examination.