Epidemiology and etiology of hearing impairment among infants and children in a developing country. Part I

Abstract

Objectives: The study identifies children at risk for hearing impairment and determines the etiology, type, degree, and onset of deafness of Saudi children living in the city of Riyadh. The relationship to other anomalies is also explored, and a review of the literature is included.

Method: This study features an extensive screening programme involving interviews, clinical and laboratory examinations, anthropometric and audiologic measurements, and family demographic data gathering of subjects both in the field and in clinics randomly selected throughout Riyadh. A control group of normal-hearing children was also selected.

Results: Of the 6421 children surveyed (55% male), aged 2 months to 12 years, the mean birth weight was 3050 g; the average number of siblings was 5.39; and the majority were from consanguineous families. Male children, lower birth weights, ocular problems, consanguinity, perinatal problems, lower socioeconomic level, and a family history of hearing impairment or other disease (e.g., meningitis) correlated with an increased risk of impairment in these children, as did the attendance of their mothers at an antenatal clinic.

Conclusion: The study points to the significance of hearing impairment and its effect on communication and psychological and educational development, as well as the necessity for programmes to address these issues in children, both in management and prevention.