Age of diagnosis of hearing impairment in children under the period 2002 to 2006 in Iceland

The society today is more aware of the importance of early diagnosis of children’s hearing impairment. Neonatal hearing screening is used in many countries today, that is to be able to start habilitation at as early age as possible. Studies have shown that if children are diagnosed early enough will their language ability follow the age group of normal hearing peers. This is a journal study where journals form 99 Icelandic children, diagnosed in the Hearing and Speech Institute of Iceland during a period of 5 years, between 2002 and 2006, were inspected and analyzed. At the same time as the age of diagnose was analyzed the influence of gender, type and degree of hearing impairment was inspected. The age of diagnose of hearing impairment in Iceland was found to be between 5 and 6 years of age which looks higher than in other counties. An explanation to that can be that in other studies that the degree of hearing impairment that is analyzed is often higher