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Published on: January 23, 2017
Screening for delayed-onset hearing loss in preschool children who previously passed the newborn hearing screening
Jingrong Lü1, Zhiwu Huang, Tao Yang
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.
Insights
Preschool hearing screening is crucial for detecting delayed-onset hearing loss in children who passed newborn tests. Early detection through preschool screening is recommended to identify undiagnosed cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Newborn hearing screening identifies congenital hearing loss but may miss cases developing later.
- Delayed-onset hearing loss (DOHL) can impact speech and language development in young children.
- Early identification and intervention are critical for managing DOHL.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of DOHL in preschool children in Shanghai, China.
- To assess the effectiveness of preschool hearing screening for identifying DOHL.
- To evaluate the presence of risk factors associated with DOHL in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 21,427 preschool children who passed newborn hearing screening were enrolled.
- Children underwent screening for DOHL using pediatric audiometers.
- Positive screening results led to audiological assessment and risk indicator evaluation per JCIH guidelines.
Main Results:
- 16 children (0.75/1000) were diagnosed with permanent DOHL.
- Hearing loss varied from mild to moderate, unilateral and bilateral.
- Risk factors were identified in 37.5% of cases, while 62.5% had no identified risk factors.
Conclusions:
- A notable percentage of preschool children have undiagnosed DOHL.
- Preschool hearing screening is recommended for early detection of DOHL.
- Routine preschool screening is vital for timely intervention and management.
Objective:
The goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence of delayed-onset hearing loss in preschool children who previously passed newborn hearing screening in Shanghai, China.
Methods:
Between October 2009 and September 2010, 21,427 preschool children were enrolled from five areas of Shanghai, who had passed newborn hearing screening. Children were screened for delayed-onset hearing loss with pediatric audiometers. Children with positive results in initial and re-screening tests were assessed audiologically and for risk indicators according to the Year 2007 Statement of the American Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH).
Results:
During the study period, 445 children (2.08%) were referred for audiologic assessment; 16 (0.75/1000, 95% CI 0.38-1.12) had permanent delayed-onset hearing loss. Of these, five (0.23/1000) had bilateral moderate hearing loss; seven (0.33/1000) had mild bilateral hearing loss; and four (0.19/1000) had unilateral moderate or mild hearing loss. JCIH risk indicators were established for six children (6/16, 37.5%), including parental concern regarding speech and language developmental delay, neonatal intensive care unit with assisted ventilation or hyperbilirubinemia, recurrent otitis media with effusion, craniofacial malformation, and family history (n=1 for each). The remaining ten (62.5%) had no related risk factors.
Conclusions:
A significant proportion of preschool children have undiagnosed delayed-onset hearing loss. Hearing screening in preschool is recommended for an early detection.
