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Updated: May 11, 2026

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
Hearing level in children with Down syndrome at the age of eight
Marit Erna Austeng1, Harriet Akre, Eva-Signe Falkenberg
1Østfold Hospital Trust, Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Norway. Marit.Erna.Austeng@so-hf.no
Abstract:
This study examines the prevalence of hearing loss in children with Down syndrome at the age of 8. All children were examined in the ENT-departments of public hospitals in Norway and the study population consisted of children born in Norway in 2002 with Down syndrome. Hearing loss was defined as pure-tone air-conduction reduction by on average more than 25 dB HL in the best hearing ear. A cross sectional clinical and audiological population based study was chosen as study design. Hearing loss more than 25 dB HL in the best hearing ear was found in 17/49 children (35%). Mild hearing loss was found in 13 children (26%), moderate in 3 (6%) children and severe hearing loss in 1 child (2%). Conductive hearing loss was found in 8 children (16%), 9 children (18%) had a sensory-neural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss was found in 3 children. Mean hearing level among boys and girls were 30.0 dB HL (SD 15.7) and 25.5 dB HL (SD13.7) respectively, a non-significant difference (p=0.139). In conclusion this study indicates that both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, is still common in children with Down syndrome children at the age of eight and as much as two thirds of the children may have a bilateral impairment. The study population was under diagnosed in terms of hearing loss and thus our findings underline the importance of continuous audiological follow up of this group of children throughout childhood.
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