Evaluation of Infants and Young Children with Hearing Loss Not Diagnosed in Its Early Stages

Abstract

One hundred and twenty-three infants and young children whose hearing loss had not been detected before 3 years of age were analyzed. Hearing loss was assessed by the conditioned orientation response, peep show test and auditory brain stem response. Of the 123 children, 70 had a normal intelligence quotient (IQJ, 24 had borderline mental retardation (MR) and 29 had manifest MR, including Down's syndrome in 7 cases, cerebral palsy in 9, emotional disorder in 3 and no systemic diseases in 10. Of those with a normal IQ,, 29 had severe, 40 had moderate and one had mild hearing loss. This was of the gradual type in 34 cases, abrupt high tone loss type in 15, horizontal type in 12 and other types in 9. Patients with severe hearing loss tended to attend our clinic soon after hearing loss was first suspected. Adequate advice had not been obtained from the former consulting otologists in 13 of the 80 patients whose hearing loss was first detected in our clinic. No complications influencing hearing acuity were found in 3 of the 13 cases mentioned above. Hearing loss had first been detected in primary school in 12 of the 70 cases without MR, including 2 cases of severe, 9 of moderate and one of mild hearing loss. The importance of early detection and early start of training to prevent further impairment of speech and intelligence development should be recognized by families, teachers, otologists and pediatricians. Screening tests for hearing impairment should be promoted at public health centers. © 1985, The Society of Practical Otolaryngology. All rights reserved.