Hearing loss in preschool children from a low income South African community

OBJECTIVE : This study aimed to determine and describe hearing loss among preschool children in a South African community representative of typical low- and middle income countries (LMIC). METHOD : Children between the ages of 3–6 years received a hearing screening at their early childhood development (ECD) center. If a child failed the hearing screening, he/she was seen for a follow-up rescreen and diagnostic assessment if necessary at their ECD center or closest referral clinic. Diagnostic testing consisted of otoscopy, tympanommetry and pure-tone diagnostic audiometry. RESULTS : A total of 6424 children were screened at ECD centers with a referral rate of 24.9%. Follow-up assessments were conducted on 45.3% (725) of these children. Diagnostic testing revealed that 9.3% of children presented with impacted cerumen and 18.7% presented with a hearing loss (56.5% binaural). Binary logistic regression revealed no gender or age effects (p > 0.05). Conductive hearing loss (65.2%) was the most common type of hearing loss found in children. CONCLUSIONS : Most preschool children who failed the hearing screening and received a diagnostic assessment were in need of intervention services for conductive hearing losses, followed by sensorineural and mixed losses.The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, in collaboration with the South African Humanities Deans Association.https://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijporl2019-12-01hj2019Speech-Language Pathology and Audiolog