[Hearing care network for early identification of delayed hearing loss in preschool children]
Liping Meng1, Qin Hong2, Hui Ji2
1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery，Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University，Nanjing，210008，China.
Insights
Establishing a hearing care network in Nanjing enabled early identification and intervention for preschool children with delayed hearing loss. This network proved effective in detecting hearing impairments and associated language delays.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Audiology
- Public Health Initiatives
- Developmental Pediatrics
Context:
- Preschool children in Nanjing require early detection and intervention for delayed hearing loss.
- Existing healthcare infrastructure may not adequately address pediatric hearing care needs.
- A structured hearing care network is needed to streamline services.
Purpose:
- To establish a comprehensive hearing care network for preschool children in Nanjing.
- To implement early identification and intervention strategies for delayed hearing loss.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the established hearing care network.
Summary:
- A hearing care network screened 29,919 preschool children, identifying 70 cases of delayed hearing loss (0.23% detection rate).
- The network facilitated early diagnosis, intervention (hearing aids, cochlear implants), and audiological follow-up for affected children.
- 10.7% failed initial screening, and 47.7% of those failed re-screening, highlighting the need for systematic checks.
Impact:
- The hearing care network successfully facilitated early detection of delayed hearing loss and associated language development delays in preschool children.
- Early intervention through the network improved outcomes for children with hearing impairments.
- This model demonstrates the value of integrated hearing care networks in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
Objective:To establish a hearing care network for preschool children in Nanjing, to perform early identification and intervention for delayed hearing loss, and to evaluate the application effect of the hearing care network. Methods:Through the establishment of a hearing care network, hearing screening, diagnosis and follow-up of preschool children were conducted. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions（DPOAE） was adopted for primary hearing screening. Children who failed in the primary screening were re-screened within half a month. DPOAE and acoustic impedance test were used for hearing re-screening. Clinical diagnosis and audiological evaluation were performed for children who failed in the re-screening. Speech assessment, hearing aid intervention, and audio-speech follow-up were conducted for children diagnosed with delayed hearing loss. Results:Among 29 919 preschool children completing the hearing screening from May 2019 to September 2022, 3208 cases（10.7%） failed the primary screening and 1437 cases（47.7%） failed the re-screening. Total 747 children completed the hearing diagnosis, and 70 children were diagnosed with delayed hearing loss, with a detection rate of 0.23%. Among them, 20 cases were accompanied by language development delay, in which 12 cases received hearing aids and 2 cases received cochlear implantation. In addition, speech assessment and audiological follow-up were completed for 53 children. Conclusion:The hearing screening for preschool children is beneficial for early detection of children with delayed hearing loss and language development delay. Besides, the establishment of hearing care network is conducive to early identification and intervention of children with hearing loss.
