Preschool Children Hearing Impairment: Prevalence, Diagnosis and Management in a Developing Country
Waheed Atilade Adegbiji1, Gabriel Toye Olajide2, Fatai Olatoke3
1ENT Department, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti , Nigeria.
Insights
Hearing impairment affects 5.9% of preschool children, with preventable causes like neonatal jaundice and otitis media leading to permanent damage. Early diagnosis and management are crucial for reducing the burden of this condition.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Hearing impairment is a significant global health issue in preschool children.
- Preventable causes contribute to the burden of hearing loss in developing countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of hearing impairment in preschool children.
- To identify the etiologic factors and clinical presentation of hearing loss in young children.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, hospital-based study conducted over two years in Nigeria.
- Data collected via interviewer-assisted questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of hearing impairment was 5.9%, peaking at age 3.
- Common causes included neonatal jaundice (15.8%), febrile illness (13.9%), and otitis media (12.9%).
- Sensorineural hearing loss was the most common type (61.4%).
Conclusions:
- Preschool hearing impairment, often presenting late, poses a significant burden.
- Many common causes are preventable, yet lead to permanent auditory damage.
Objectives:
Preschool children hearing impairment is a common otologic diseases worldwide. The burdens of this preventable condition can be reduced in developing country. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence, diagnosis and management of hearing impairment among children less than 5 years seen in our center.
Method:
This was a prospective hospital based study of preschool children with complaints of hearing impairment in Ekiti state university teaching hospital, Nigeria. This study was conducted over a period of two years (February 2016 to January 2018). Data was obtained from consented patients by using pretested interviewers assisted questionnaire. Data obtained was collated and analyzed by using SPSS software version 18.0. D escriptive statistics was used to present and expressed the data as simple tables and charts.
Results:
The prevalence of hearing impairment in this study was 5.9% with peak value of 37.6% at preschool age 3 years. There were 42.6% males and 57.4% females. Majority (51.5%) of the patients were urban dwellers. The aetiologic factors of hearing impairment include; 15.8% neonatal jaundice, 13.9% febrile illness, 12.9% otitis media and 11.9% birth asphyxia. Prelingual presentation was commonest in 57.4%. Common clinical features includes yet to speak, restlessness/stubborn and not responding to command in 60.4%, 48.5% and 46.5% respectively. Commonest type of hearing impairment was sensorineural hearing loss is 61.4%. Type A tympanometry (normal) was the commonest findings in 82.2%.
Conclusion:
Preschool children hearing impairment with late presentation is a common otologic diseases burden to parent and otorhinolaryngologist in our center. The common causes were preventable with resulting permanent auditory damage.
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