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Hung YC, Ho PH, Chen PH, Tsai YS, Li YJ, Lin HC. Impact of Hearing Aids on Language Outcomes in Preschool Children With Mild Bilateral Hearing Loss. Trends Hear 2024; 28:23312165241256721. [PMID: 38773778 PMCID: PMC11113073 DOI: 10.1177/23312165241256721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the role of hearing aid (HA) usage in language outcomes among preschool children aged 3-5 years with mild bilateral hearing loss (MBHL). The data were retrieved from a total of 52 children with MBHL and 30 children with normal hearing (NH). The association between demographical, audiological factors and language outcomes was examined. Analyses of variance were conducted to compare the language abilities of HA users, non-HA users, and their NH peers. Furthermore, regression analyses were performed to identify significant predictors of language outcomes. Aided better ear pure-tone average (BEPTA) was significantly correlated with language comprehension scores. Among children with MBHL, those who used HA outperformed the ones who did not use HA across all linguistic domains. The language skills of children with MBHL were comparable to those of their peers with NH. The degree of improvement in audibility in terms of aided BEPTA was a significant predictor of language comprehension. It is noteworthy that 50% of the parents expressed reluctance regarding HA use for their children with MBHL. The findings highlight the positive impact of HA usage on language development in this population. Professionals may therefore consider HAs as a viable treatment option for children with MBHL, especially when there is a potential risk of language delay due to hearing loss. It was observed that 25% of the children with MBHL had late-onset hearing loss. Consequently, the implementation of preschool screening or a listening performance checklist is recommended to facilitate early detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chen Hung
- Speech and Hearing Science Research Institute, Children's Hearing Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Special Education, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Hsuan Ho
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Hua Chen
- Speech and Hearing Science Research Institute, Children's Hearing Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shin Tsai
- Speech and Hearing Science Research Institute, Children's Hearing Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jui Li
- Speech and Hearing Science Research Institute, Children's Hearing Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Ching Lin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
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Zhang AL, Kosoko-Thoroddsen TSF, Thomas DA, Lieu JEC. Use of Socioeconomic Demographic Data in Studies on Pediatric Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review. Ear Hear 2024; 45:10-22. [PMID: 37607013 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social determinants of health (SDOH) (healthcare access and quality, education access and quality, socioeconomic status, social and cultural context, neighborhood and built environment) ( Healthy People 2030 ) have been shown to impact a wide range of health-related outcomes and access to care. Given the medical and nonmedical costs associated with children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL), the varied insurance coverage for hearing healthcare services, and the differences in hearing aid utilization rates between children of different sociodemographic classes, the sociodemographic information of children with UHL enrolled in research studies should be collected to ensure the generalizability of hearing healthcare interventions. Therefore, the objective of this scoping review is to assess the reporting of SDOH data for participants in studies of pediatric UHL and its comparison to population trends. DESIGN Two searches of published literature were conducted by a qualified medical librarian. Two reviewers then evaluated all candidate articles. Study inclusion parameters were from 2010 to present, peer-reviewed studies with prospective study design, and participant population including children (age 0 to 18 years old) with UHL. RESULTS Two literature searches using PubMed Medline and Embase found 442 and 3058 studies each for review. After abstract and paper review, 87 studies were included in final qualitative review, with 22 of these studies reporting race distribution of participants, 15 reporting insurance status or family income, and 12 reporting the maternal education level. CONCLUSIONS Sociodemographic data are not commonly reported in research studies of children with UHL. In reported samples, research participants are more likely to have private insurance and higher family income compared with overall population distribution. These demographic biases may affect the generalizability of study results to all children with UHL. Further evaluation is warranted to evaluate whether participant recruitment affects outcomes that reflect the overall population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Zhang
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- These are co-first authors/contributed equally to this work
| | - Tinna-Sólveig F Kosoko-Thoroddsen
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- These are co-first authors/contributed equally to this work
| | - Deborah A Thomas
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Judith E C Lieu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Dall M, Weber C, Holzinger D, Binder D, Hofer J, Horvarth S, Müllegger D, Rosenthaler C, Zöhrer R, Fellinger J. Preschool Children with Hearing Loss: Social Communication and Parenting Stress. J Pers Med 2023; 14:47. [PMID: 38248749 PMCID: PMC10821039 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14010047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies on parenting stress (PS) in parents of children with hearing loss (HL) have found relationships between child behavior, language skills and parenting stress. The role of early social communication skills has not been researched before. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between child behavior, social communication and PS. The study was performed in a subgroup of a total population sample from the AChild (Austrian Children with Hearing Impairment-Longitudinal Databank) study. Preschool children (n = 81) with all degrees of HL and average cognitive functioning and their families were included, and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) was used. Through factor component analysis, compound scores for externalizing/internalizing problem behavior and hyperactivity were analyzed. Although mean PS was not elevated, the proportion of those with elevated scores was higher compared with the norm population. There was a strong correlation between child behavior problems and PS (strongest correlation: externalizing problem behavior r = 0.643; p < 0.001). All three problem behaviors accounted for 49.7% of the variance in PS. An indirect effect of social communication on PS was almost completely mediated by problem behavior (especially hyperactivity). The importance of social communication development with respect to problem behavior and PS is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Dall
- Research Institute for Developmental Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria; (C.W.); (D.H.); (J.H.); (D.M.); (J.F.)
| | - Christoph Weber
- Research Institute for Developmental Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria; (C.W.); (D.H.); (J.H.); (D.M.); (J.F.)
- Department for Inclusive Education, University of Education Upper Austria, 4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Daniel Holzinger
- Research Institute for Developmental Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria; (C.W.); (D.H.); (J.H.); (D.M.); (J.F.)
- Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St. John of God, 4020 Linz, Austria; (D.B.); (S.H.); (C.R.)
- Institute of Linguistics, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Doris Binder
- Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St. John of God, 4020 Linz, Austria; (D.B.); (S.H.); (C.R.)
| | - Johannes Hofer
- Research Institute for Developmental Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria; (C.W.); (D.H.); (J.H.); (D.M.); (J.F.)
- Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St. John of God, 4020 Linz, Austria; (D.B.); (S.H.); (C.R.)
| | - Sonja Horvarth
- Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St. John of God, 4020 Linz, Austria; (D.B.); (S.H.); (C.R.)
| | - Daiva Müllegger
- Research Institute for Developmental Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria; (C.W.); (D.H.); (J.H.); (D.M.); (J.F.)
- Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St. John of God, 4020 Linz, Austria; (D.B.); (S.H.); (C.R.)
| | - Christoph Rosenthaler
- Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St. John of God, 4020 Linz, Austria; (D.B.); (S.H.); (C.R.)
| | - Ruth Zöhrer
- Michael Ogon Laboratory for Orthopaedic Research, Orthopaedic Hospital Speising, 1130 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Johannes Fellinger
- Research Institute for Developmental Medicine, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4020 Linz, Austria; (C.W.); (D.H.); (J.H.); (D.M.); (J.F.)
- Institute of Neurology of Senses and Language, Hospital of St. John of God, 4020 Linz, Austria; (D.B.); (S.H.); (C.R.)
- Division of Social Psychiatry, University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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de Jong TJ, van der Schroeff MP, Stapersma L, Vroegop JL. A systematic review on the impact of auditory functioning and language proficiency on psychosocial difficulties in children and adolescents with hearing loss. Int J Audiol 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37887640 DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2023.2261074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Approximately 20% to 40% of children with hearing loss encounter psychosocial difficulties. This prevalence may be outdated, given the advancements in hearing technology and rehabilitation efforts to enhance the psychosocial well-being of these children. A systematic review of up-to-date literature can help to identify factors that may contribute to the children's psychosocial well-being. DESIGN/STUDY SAMPLE A systematic review was conducted. Original articles were identified through systematic searches in Embase, Medline, PsychINFO, and Web of Science Core Collection. The quality of the papers was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and custom Reviewers' Criteria. RESULTS A search was performed on 20 October 2022. A total of 1561 articles were identified, and 36 were included for review. Critical appraisal led to 24 good to fair quality articles, and 12 poor quality articles. CONCLUSION Children with hearing loss have a twofold risk of experiencing psychosocial difficulties compared to normal hearing peers. Estimates for functioning in social interactions, like speech perception (in noise) or language proficiency, have proven to be more adequate predictors for psychosocial difficulties than the degree of hearing loss. Our findings can be useful for identifying children at risk for difficulties and offering them earlier and more elaborate psychological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tjeerd J de Jong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marc P van der Schroeff
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Luuk Stapersma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Levvel, Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jantien L Vroegop
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Ong JJ, Smith L, Shepherd DA, Xu J, Roberts G, Sung V. Emotional behavioral outcomes of children with unilateral and mild hearing loss. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1209736. [PMID: 37859773 PMCID: PMC10582705 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1209736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Deaf and hard-of hearing (DHH) children often experience emotional/behavioral difficulties. The impact of unilateral/mild hearing loss (HL) on children's emotion and behavior are unclear. We aimed to describe emotional/behavioral, health related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and parent psychological distress outcomes of school-age children with unilateral/mild HL, compared to children with moderate to profound HL, and in relation to population norms; and identify predictive factors of emotional/behavioral difficulties. Methods Data of 339 DHH children, 5-12 years, enrolled in the Victorian Childhood Hearing Longitudinal Databank (VicCHILD), which include demographics, early development, medical/audiological characteristics and parent rated questionnaires of emotion/behavior, HRQoL and parental psychological distress collected at various stages of child's life were analyzed. We used Cohen's d to investigate the outcomes by measuring the mean score differences of both groups with published norms and logistic regression to analyze the factors predictive of emotional/behavioral difficulties. Results The proportion of children with unilateral/mild HL and moderate to profound HL who experienced emotional/behavioral difficulties was similar (18.3% vs. 20.6%), with hyperactivity and poor prosocial behavior reported as the predominant symptoms in both groups. Mean emotional/behavioral scores of both groups were comparable and substantially higher than normative population scores. This was also the case for HRQoL and levels of parent distress. Among children with unilateral/mild HL, additional health needs were the strongest predictive factor, demonstrating an approximately 1.7-fold increase in odds of emotional/behavioral difficulties (OR = 1.67; 95% CI 1.29-2.17, p < 0.001) with every additional health need. Early developmental concerns, other than communication milestone and attending mainstream schoolshowed weaker evidence of association. Conclusion Children with unilateral/mild HL were just as likely as those with moderate to profound HL to experience more emotional/behavioral difficulties, poorer HRQoL and higher parental distress scores compared to population norms. Our findings justify the provision of early intervention, support and medical services for all DHH children to identify those at risk of poorer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jean Ong
- Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children’s Hospital,Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Libby Smith
- Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children’s Hospital,Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Daisy A. Shepherd
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jessica Xu
- Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children’s Hospital,Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Gehan Roberts
- Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children’s Hospital,Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Valerie Sung
- Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children’s Hospital,Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Ji H, Yu X, Xiao Z, Zhu H, Liu P, Lin H, Chen R, Hong Q. Features of Cognitive Ability and Central Auditory Processing of Preschool Children With Minimal and Mild Hearing Loss. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:1867-1888. [PMID: 37116308 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-22-00395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the current status of cognitive development and central auditory processing development of preschool children with minimal and mild hearing loss (MMHL) in Nanjing, China. METHOD We recruited 34 children with MMHL and 45 children with normal hearing (NH). They completed a series of tests, including cognitive tests (i.e., Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence and Continuous Performance Test), behavioral auditory tests (speech-in-noise [SIN] test and frequency pattern test), and objective electrophysiological audiometry (speech-evoked auditory brainstem response and cortical auditory evoked potential). In addition, teacher evaluations and demographic information and questionnaires completed by parents were collected. RESULTS Regarding cognitive ability, statistical differences in the verbal comprehensive index, full-scale intelligence quotient, and abnormal rate of attention test score were found between the MMHL group and the NH group. The children with MMHL performed poorer on the SIN test than the children with NH. As for the auditory electrophysiology of the two groups, the latency and amplitude of some waves of the speech-evoked auditory brainstem response and cortical auditory evoked potential were statistically different between the two groups. We attempted to explore the relationship between some key indicators of auditory processing and some key indicators of cognitive development. CONCLUSIONS Children with MMHL are already at increased developmental risk as early as preschool. They are more likely to have problems with attention and verbal comprehension than children with NH. This condition is not compensated with increasing age during the preschool years. The results suggest a possible relationship between the risk of cognitive deficit and divergence of auditory processing. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22670473.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Ji
- Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyue Yu
- School of Pediatrics, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenglu Xiao
- School of Pediatrics, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huiqin Zhu
- School of Pediatrics, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Panting Liu
- Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huanxi Lin
- School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Renjie Chen
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qin Hong
- Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Jiangsu, China
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Continisio GI, D’Errico D, Toscano S, Maldonato NM, De Falco R, Nunziata F, Rodio A, Casarella A, Del Vecchio V, Fetoni AR, Malesci R. Parenting Stress in Mothers of Children with Permanent Hearing Impairment. CHILDREN 2023; 10:children10030517. [PMID: 36980075 PMCID: PMC10046956 DOI: 10.3390/children10030517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) represents the most frequent sensory pathology at birth. PCHI has a relevant psychological impact on the life of both the affected children and their families. Thus, the aim of this work is to explore the degree of parental distress felt by mothers of a deaf or hard-of-hearing child, to determine if this stress is associated with variables related to the children’s health (e.g., the severity of hearing loss, presence of other conditions, difficulty with treatment options, difficulty with rehabilitation) or family characteristics such as socio-economic and educational status. The study used the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form (PSI-SF) questionnaire administered to mothers. The results were analyzed in relation to variables such as parents’ education level, number of children, severity of hearing loss, presence of other chronic conditions, presence of cognitive delay, familiarity with hearing loss, time of diagnosis, use of prosthetics, and start in a rehabilitation program. The data indicate a correlation between maternal stress levels and low-educational levels, as well as the presence of congenital infections and cognitive delay. These results highlight the need for a comprehensive physical and psychological approach for hearing-impaired children, as stress factors can affect the adherence to effective rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Isabella Continisio
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Domenico D’Errico
- Section of Audiology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Silvia Toscano
- Section of Pediatrics, Department of Translational Medicine Science, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Nelson Mauro Maldonato
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaella De Falco
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Nunziata
- Section of Pediatrics, Department of Translational Medicine Science, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Angelica Rodio
- Section of Audiology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Casarella
- Section of Audiology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria Del Vecchio
- Section of Audiology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Fetoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Rita Malesci
- Section of Audiology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Science and Dentistry, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Pansini, 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Impact of unilateral hearing loss in early development. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2022; 30:344-350. [PMID: 36004776 DOI: 10.1097/moo.0000000000000848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to provide an update on current literature as it relates to the impact of unilateral hearing loss for the pediatric population. RECENT FINDINGS Current studies further corroborate past research findings which reveal the potential consequences of unilateral hearing loss on spatial hearing, language, and neurocognitive functioning. Deficits among children with unilateral hearing loss may parallel those seen in children with bilateral hearing loss, further challenging historic views that hearing in one ear in childhood is sufficient for normal development. The potential deficiencies seen in children with unilateral hearing loss can be subtler than those seen with bilateral hearing loss, but may nonetheless also impact school performance, patient fatigue, parental stress, and quality of life. Early interventions within a sensitive period of development of the central auditory system may circumvent potential barriers in cognitive, academic, and psychosocial development. SUMMARY This review synthesizes the latest research on the impact of unilateral hearing loss in childhood and the role for possible interventions. The summarized information may serve to support the development of new guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of children with unilateral hearing loss.
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