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Parental suspicion and identification of hearing impairment
P M Watkin1, M Baldwin, S Laoide
1Waltham Forest Health Authority, London.
Insights
Parental concern often misses early signs of childhood hearing loss. Early identification requires both parental vigilance and effective hearing screening programs for optimal outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Early identification of childhood hearing impairment is crucial for development.
- Parental recognition plays a role, but its effectiveness varies.
- Existing screening programs aim to detect hearing loss in young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the contribution of parental suspicion in identifying childhood hearing impairment.
- To compare parental suspicion rates with audiological diagnoses across different hearing loss severities.
- To evaluate the timing of parental suspicion relative to audiological diagnosis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of a 16-year cohort of 171 children with diagnosed hearing impairment.
- Analysis of parental concern records preceding audiological diagnosis.
- Categorization of hearing loss severity (mild, moderate, severe, profound) and type (permanent, conductive).
Main Results:
- Only 25% of children with permanent hearing loss were identified due to parental concern.
- Parental suspicion was present in 44% of severe/profound deafness cases, lower for mild/moderate loss.
- Parents frequently had difficulty recognizing hearing loss, even in older children.
Conclusions:
- Parental suspicion is valuable but insufficient for early detection of all childhood hearing impairments.
- A combination of parental vigilance and sensitive hearing screening programs is essential for early identification.
- Professionals should not disregard parental concerns regarding potential hearing loss.
Abstract:
The contribution of parental suspicion in the original identification of a 16 year cohort of 171 children with varying degrees of hearing impairment who were screened and identified in childhood was studied. Only a quarter of the children with permanent hearing loss were identified as a result of parental concern. The presence of parental suspicion preceding the audiological diagnosis was also measured. Of the children with severe or profound deafness, the parents only suspected the presence of hearing loss in 44%. Parental suspicion was even lower for those with a mild or moderate permanent hearing loss, and for those with an otherwise symptomless conductive hearing loss caused by otitis media with effusion. Some parents did identify hearing impairment in their children, and parental suspicion should never be professionally disregarded. Most parents, however, experienced initial difficulty in recognising their children's hearing loss, even when the children were comparatively old. The study confirms the need to continue to identify deafness early by both parental vigilance and sensitive hearing screening programmes.