Related Experiment Videos
Hearing impairment among "at risk' children
S M Zakzouk1, H S al-Muhaimeed
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, King Abdul Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Hearing impairment affects nearly 40% of at-risk children, with conductive hearing loss linked to otitis media and sensorineural hearing loss often hereditary. Early identification and intervention are crucial for affected infants and children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hearing impairment is a significant global health issue affecting child development.
- Identifying the prevalence and causes of hearing loss in at-risk children is essential for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and aetiology of hearing impairment in Saudi infants and children identified as 'at risk'.
- To analyze the types and severity of hearing loss, differentiating between conductive and sensorineural causes.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted on 6421 infants and children screened for hearing impairment risk factors.
- Prevalence and aetiology of hearing loss were assessed in 1256 children identified as 'at risk'.
- Classified hearing loss into conductive and sensorineural types, noting associated conditions and severity.
Main Results:
- 19.6% (1256/6421) of children were identified as 'at risk' for hearing impairment.
- Hearing impairment was diagnosed in 39.3% (494/1256) of 'at risk' children.
- Conductive hearing loss (66%) was primarily associated with secretory otitis media; sensorineural hearing loss (34%) was often hereditary (66.1%).
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of at-risk children in Saudi Arabia experience hearing impairment.
- Otitis media and hereditary factors are major contributors to conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, respectively.
- A nationwide study is recommended to fully understand the scope of deafness in Saudi infants and children.
Abstract:
A survey was carried out to identify the prevalence and the aetiology of hearing impairment among infants and children at risk based on the criteria. Out of 6421 surveyed children. 1256 (19.6%) were found "at risk' for hearing impairment. Children with hearing impairment in this study were found to be 494 which represent 39.3% of the "at risk' children. We found 326 (66%) children had conductive hearing loss almost all associated with secretory otitis media (n = 232). Sensorineural hearing loss affected 168 (34%) children. Heredo-familial causes were responsible for about 111 (66.1%) cases. The detailed causes of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss are presented and compared with other studies in the literature. Conductive hearing impairment was mild in the majority of the cases n = 271, (83%), moderate in 55 (17%) cases. Sensorineural hearing loss was mild in 113 (67.3%), moderate in 32 (19%) and profound in 23 (13.7%) cases. A large scale Kingdom-wide study to focus on aetiology of deafness among Saudi infants and children to find out the extent of this problem is recommended.