Tinnitus in children with hearing loss

Area of Science:

• Pediatric audiology
• Otolaryngology
• Child psychology

Background:

• Limited research exists on tinnitus in children.
• Challenges include children's difficulty describing symptoms and adults' communication barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of tinnitus in children with severe to profound hearing loss.
• To explore challenges in assessing pediatric tinnitus.

Main Methods:

• 102 children (6-17 years) with severe to profound hearing loss were surveyed for tinnitus.
• Children reporting tinnitus underwent further interviews and questionnaires.
• Comparison with non-tinnitus group based on hearing level, age, sex, and deafness etiology.

Main Results:

• 23% of children (24 out of 102) reported experiencing tinnitus.
• No significant differences were found between tinnitus and non-tinnitus groups regarding hearing loss characteristics, age, sex, or etiology.
• Tinnitus is a notable issue in this pediatric population.

Conclusions:

• Tinnitus is present in a substantial proportion of children with severe to profound hearing loss.
• Further research is needed to improve the description and assessment of tinnitus in pediatric patients.