Hearing loss and congenital rubella in Atlantic Canada

There were 41 children born between 1973-1976 in Atlantic Canada who were victims of a severe rubella epidemic. This paper investigates prevalent audiometric patterns, incidence of middle ear disease, evidence regarding progressivity of hearing loss and any relationship between presence of middle ear disease and progressivity. Both surgical and audiological records were utilized in a combined retrospective-prospective study. Results indicate a typically flat audiogram for our group, with possible errors in the analysis of high frequency data accounting for differences between our center and those audiograms reported by other centers. Most of our children have a type A (normal) tympanogram (72.9%), but three have a type As which may be indicative of possible middle ear malformations. Six children (11 ears) have demonstrated only type AD and/or type B tympanograms. These may represent ongoing disease, middle ear malformation, or both. A number of variables (i.e., poor reliability, maturational effects, sound field compared to ear phone results) have contributed to a general feeling that progressivity of the hearing loss of rubella children may be a common phenomenon. A careful examination of our data found progressivity clearly documented in three cases. There was no relationship between presence of middle ear pathology and progressivity.