Prevalence and risk factors for delayed-onset hearing loss in early childhood: A population-based observational study in Okayama Prefecture, Japan

Late onset hearing loss in very low birth weight infants

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of a referral protocol for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and document the incidence rate of late onset hearing loss.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study (2003-2015) of post-discharge hearing outcomes and risk factors in the VLBW infant population, before and after the institution of a standardized follow-up program. Risk factors were compared between cases and matched controls.

RESULTS

Late onset hearing loss detection increased from 2.2 per 100 VLBW infants to 6.9 per 100 post standardization. The follow-up compliance rate nearly doubled. The age at diagnosis decreased from 31 to 12 months postnatal age. The detection of conductive loss increased four-fold, while sensorineural hearing loss remained unchanged.

CONCLUSION

A significant proportion late onset hearing loss in VLBW infants is conductive, which can negatively impact speech and language development. A standardized process is essential for early detection and optimal outcomes.

A systematic review of the prevalence of late identified hearing loss in childhood

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this systematic review was to assess the evidence about the prevalence of permanent hearing loss for children not identified from newborn hearing screening (NHS).

DESIGN

Articles were grouped into three categories based on the methodological approach: (1) all participants received diagnostic testing, (2) otoacoustic emission (OAE) or pure tone screening was completed and those not passing were referred for a diagnostic test, and (3) data were retrieved from archival records. Study characteristics, prevalence, and contextual factors were synthesised and narratively described.

STUDY SAMPLE

30 peer-reviewed articles.

RESULTS

Prevalence of permanent hearing loss per 1,000 children ranged from 0.32 to 77.87 (M = 7.30; SD = 16.87). Variations in the criteria for inclusion contributed to prevalence differences. Prevalence was higher when unilateral and milder degrees of hearing loss were included, and older children had higher prevalence (M = 13.71; SD = 23.21) than younger children (M = 1.57; SD = 0.86).

CONCLUSION

There is scant research on prevalence of childhood hearing loss after NHS that utilised methods to accurately differentiate between permanent and temporary hearing loss. Rigorous research is needed on the prevalence of permanent childhood hearing loss to inform strategies for monitoring, identification, intervention, and management.

Prevalence and incidence of hearing loss in school-aged children in Santiago, Chile

BACKGROUND

Countries need information about epidemiology of hearing loss along the lifespan to develop adequate health policies.

OBJECTIVES

Estimate prevalence of hearing loss in children six years old in the south-west area Santiago, Chile, and estimate incidence of late-onset hearing loss for the same population. Secondary objective: explore risk factors associated with hearing loss.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study, recruitment of children between March and June 2022, public schools South-west area of Santiago, Chile, attending first grade. We employed DPOAE for screening of hearing loss, all subjects with uni or bilateral refer were assessed with otomicroscopy, tonal audiometry, and impedanciometry.

RESULTS

588 children, 54.3% female, 45.7% male, mean age six years (SD .3). Estimated prevalence of all types of hearing loss 2.22% (IC95% 1.19-3.76), of permanent hearing loss 0.34% (IC95% 0.05-5.3), and incidence of late-onset hearing loss 0.17% (IC 95% 0.03-4.17) in six years. No risk factor was significant for hearing loss of any type.

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

Prevalence of hearing loss in first-grade children in Santiago, Chile, was higher than the rate reported for newborns in the same population, advocating for screening after the newborn period. Further research is needed to recommend a specific age range for re-screening.

Sensorineural hearing impairment among preterm children: a Norwegian population-based study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the risk for sensorineural hearing impairment (SNHI) in preterm infants, and to what extent the risk is attributed to perinatal morbidities and therapies.

DESIGN

Population-based cohort study using data from several nationwide registries.

SETTING

Norwegian birth cohort 1999-2014, with data on SNHI until 2019.

PARTICIPANTS

60 023 live-born preterm infants, divided in moderate-late preterm (MLP) infants (32-36 weeks), very preterm (VP) infants (28-31 weeks) and extremely preterm (EP) infants (22-27 weeks), and a reference group with all 869 797 term-born infants from the study period.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

SNHI defined by selected ICD-10 codes, recorded during minimum 5-year observation period after birth.

RESULTS

The overall SNHI prevalence in the preterm cohort was 1.4% compared with 0.7% in the reference group. The adjusted risk ratios (95% CIs) for SNHI were 1.7 (1.5-1.8) in MLP infants, 3.3 (2.8-3.9) in VP infants and 7.6 (6.3-9.1) in EP infants. Among EP infants, decreasing gestational age was associated with a steep increase in the risk ratio of SNHI reaching 14.8 (7.7-28.7) if born at 22-23 weeks gestation. Among the VP and MLP infants, mechanical ventilation and antibiotic therapy had strongest association with increased risk of SNHI, but infants not receiving these therapies remained at increased risk. Among EP infants intracranial haemorrhage increased the already high risk for SNHI. We found no signs of delayed or late-onset SNHI in preterm infants.

CONCLUSION

Preterm birth is an independent risk factor for SNHI. Invasive therapies and comorbidities increase the risk, predominantly in infants born after 28 weeks gestation.

Prevalence and Profiles of Late-Onset Hearing Loss in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Passed Newborn Hearing Screening in a South East Asian Population

Prevalence of hearing loss in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is uncertain, as it is more challenging to assess hearing function in children with developmental difficulties (DD). We aimed to determine the prevalence and profiles of hearing loss in preschool children with ASD in a Southeast-Asian population who passed newborn hearing screening. A retrospective study of preschool children with DD (ASD, Global Developmental Delay (GDD), and Speech and Language Delay (SLD)) attending the Child Development Unit (CDU) at our hospital was performed. Three hundred and thirty-three children (ASD: n = 129; GDD: n = 110; and SLD: n = 94) underwent hearing assessments. Of these, 10.8% of children (n = 36, comprising 15 with ASD, 12 with GDD and 9 with SLD) had confirmed hearing loss. Hearing loss was predominantly bilateral in children with ASD and GDD; in those with SLD, unilateral and bilateral hearing loss were equally common. Conductive hearing loss occurred as frequently as sensorineural hearing loss in children with ASD and SLD, but was the dominant subtype in those with GDD. Moderate to severe hearing loss (n = 2) was noted only in children with ASD. Children with ASD and GDD required significantly more audiology visits and procedures to obtain conclusive hearing test results, compared to those with SLD. The need to identify hearing loss and monitor for resolution is particularly important in vulnerable populations with communication deficits, such as in those with ASD.

Detecting Hearing Loss Through Targeted Surveillance: Risk Registry and Surveillance Timeframe Recommendations

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to inform the revision of a targeted surveillance risk registry by identifying which risk factors predict postnatally identified hearing loss (PNIHL) in children who pass newborn hearing screening and to determine whether hearing surveillance beyond the age of 1 year is warranted.

METHOD

We used retrospective analysis of the audiological outcomes of children born in the state of Queensland, Australia, between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019, who passed the newborn hearing screen with risk factors.

RESULTS

Approximately one third of children were lost to follow-up and could not be included in the analysis. Risk factors that predicted PNIHL in the analyzed cohort were as follows: syndromes associated with hearing loss, craniofacial anomalies, perinatal infections, and family history of permanent childhood hearing loss. Severe asphyxia did not predict PNIHL but yielded some cases of significant bilateral hearing loss. Hearing loss in children with a history of prolonged ventilation was mild and/or unilateral in nature (except in cases where the hearing loss was due to an unrelated etiology). There were no cases of PNIHL in children with hyperbilirubinemia or neonatal bacterial meningitis. For the risk factors that predicted PNIHL, nearly all hearing losses were detected by 1 year of age, except for children with family history where one quarter of hearing losses had a later onset.

CONCLUSIONS

The four risk factors recommended for efficient postnatal identification of hearing loss are as follows: syndromes associated with hearing loss, craniofacial anomalies, perinatal infection, and family history of permanent childhood hearing loss. Hearing surveillance through to 1 year old is sufficient except for children with a family history, where a second phase assessment is indicated. Alternative targeted surveillance protocols and models of care are required to minimize loss to follow-up.

Sensorineural hearing loss among children at risk: A 16-year audiological records review in a tertiary referral center

OBJECTIVES

Hearing loss (HL) constitutes an increasing worldwide health problem. Neonatal hearing screening improved early detection and management to alleviate HL detriments on the person and society. Still, HL in childhood, beyond infancy, is under-investigated, especially in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of HL in childhood amongst Jordanian children with HL risk factors and investigate the associated risk factors.

METHODS

Retrospective cross-sectional review of audiological records in a tertiary public and teaching hospital. The data of 1307 children aged 0-15 years who underwent audiological assessment from 2000 to 2016 were included. A review of diagnostic audiological and medical records was conducted to investigate the prevalence of sensorineural HL in high-risk (HR) children and the most contributing risk factors.

RESULTS

Descriptive statistical analysis showed that the prevalence of sensorineural HL was 29.2% in the study sample. The HL was bilateral in 95% and mild to moderate HL in 73%. The mean age at the diagnosis was around 4.5 years. The most common risk factors were parental concern about their child's hearing, ototoxic drug use, and developmental and speech delay. The Chi-squared test showed that parental concern and ototoxic drug use were associated with an increased probability of having HL.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of HL amongst at-risk children in Jordan is relatively high, and the diagnosis is delayed. The results highlight the importance of implementing a hearing screening program in at-risk children. This needs to start from birth and include a serial follow-up to detect cases of delayed-onset HL.

Determination risk factors for severe and profound hearing loss in child candidates for cochlear implantation in southeast of Iran during 2014-2020

Background

Hearing loss can have a major impact on children’s language development, academic success and hearing comprehension. The aim of the present study was to determinate risk factors for severe and profound hearing loss in child candidates for cochlear implantation in southeast of Iran during 2014–2020.

Materials and methods

This case-control study consisted of 400 children referring to a cochlear implant center (in southeastern Iran) from Bandar Abbas, Zahedan and Kerman during the years 2014–2020 as cases. The subjects were selected using the random sampling method; 200 children hospitalized in Shafa and Afzalipour hospitals were selected as controls.

Results

Based on the results of the multivariate logistic regression, weight less than 1500 g (OR = 4.40: p < 0.05), hospitalization in NICU (OR = 7.21: p < 0.05), family history of hearing loss (OR = 11.47: p < 0.05), Gestational age over 35 (OR = 9.63: p < 0.05), intracranial hemorrhage (OR = 5.18: p < 0.05), consanguineous marriage (OR = 12.48: p < 0.05) and high fever and seizures (OR = 3.02: p < 0.05) were recognized as risk factors for sensorineural deafness in children.

Conclusion

Most of the risk factors for deafness are preventable, and hereditary factors play an important role in congenital deafness in children. Therefore, genetic counseling before consanguineous marriage, early diagnosis, timely intervention can prevent many cases of hearing loss in children.