Level of Sensorineural hearing loss among children

Abstract

Hearing loss in children, especially the very young is a health problem that leads to hearing handicapness and inability to acquire speech. In older children it leads to backwardness and poor academic performance in classroom. One thousand one hundred and forty (1140) children in a primary school , aged 6-12 years (50% girls) and (50% boys), were investigated. Medical history was obtained and otoscopic examination was carried out. Pure tone audiometry and tympanometry were used to detect hearing loss (HL) greater than 20 decibels (dB)HL in the frequency 500 hertz (Hz) , 1000Hz 2000Hz and 4000Hz. The objective of this study was to screen children for hearing impairment and its etiology. And comparing the result between children. Results indicate high prevalence of hearing loss found in this population. And conductive hearing loss was significant high in the boys comparing to the girls in this study. Hearing impairment was found in 41 children giving prevalence rate of (3.6 %). 9 children out of the 41 had sensorineural hearing loss and mixed hearing loss, with a prevalence rate of (.79 %) of the total surveyed. Consangunity of parents of the children was found to be 19% first cousins and 22% second cousins.