Hearing loss in preschool children from a low income South African community
Shouneez Yousuf Hussein1, De Wet Swanepoel2, Faheema Mahomed-Asmail1
1Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Lynwood Road, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
Insights
Hearing loss is common in South African preschoolers, with conductive hearing loss being the most frequent type. Many children identified need intervention services for their hearing impairments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric audiology
- Global child health
Background:
- Hearing loss is a significant concern in early childhood development.
- Prevalence data in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine and describe the prevalence and types of hearing loss in preschool children.
- To provide data representative of LMIC settings.
Main Methods:
- Hearing screenings were conducted in early childhood development (ECD) centers for children aged 3-6 years.
- Follow-up diagnostic assessments, including otoscopy, tympanometry, and audiometry, were performed on children who failed initial screenings.
- A total of 6424 children were screened.
Main Results:
- A 24.9% referral rate was observed from initial screenings.
- Follow-up assessments were completed for 45.3% of referred children.
- Hearing loss was identified in 18.7% of assessed children, with conductive hearing loss being the most prevalent (65.2%).
- Impacted cerumen was noted in 9.3% of children.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of preschool children require intervention for hearing loss, primarily conductive types.
- Early identification and intervention are critical for addressing hearing impairments in this age group.
- Findings highlight the need for audiological services in LMIC preschool populations.
Objective:
This study aimed to determine and describe hearing loss among preschool children in a South African community representative of typical low- and middle income countries (LMIC).
Method:
Children between the ages of 3-6 years received a hearing screening at their early childhood development (ECD) center. If a child failed the hearing screening, he/she was seen for a follow-up rescreen and diagnostic assessment if necessary at their ECD center or closest referral clinic. Diagnostic testing consisted of otoscopy, tympanommetry and pure-tone diagnostic audiometry.
Results:
A total of 6424 children were screened at ECD centers with a referral rate of 24.9%. Follow-up assessments were conducted on 45.3% (725) of these children. Diagnostic testing revealed that 9.3% of children presented with impacted cerumen and 18.7% presented with a hearing loss (56.5% binaural). Binary logistic regression revealed no gender or age effects (p > 0.05). Conductive hearing loss (65.2%) was the most common type of hearing loss found in children.
Conclusions:
Most preschool children who failed the hearing screening and received a diagnostic assessment were in need of intervention services for conductive hearing losses, followed by sensorineural and mixed losses.
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