Causes of deafness in schools for the deaf in Madras

Information has been collected by questionnaire from parents and teachers of 928 deaf school children in South India. 374 of these children were examined during a 21-day visit to Madras. These findings are part of the outcome of the visit by a working party organised and financed by the Commonwealth Society for the Deaf. The Society has organised surveys of deafness in West Africa and Gambia. In this survey the causes of severe deafness in Madras have been identified. Streptomycin injections were responsible for 3.6% of cases and meningitis for 5.3%. Examination found 29% of children with ophthalmic signs of intrauterine rubella. These could be prevented. Only a third of Indian mothers of children with eye signs are aware of having had rubella infection during pregnancy.