Age at Diagnosis of Hearing Impairment in Deaf Children Attending Special Schools in South India

ABSTRACT

Background: Congenital hearing loss is estimated to be 1–6/1000 live births. In India, it is reported to be 5.6/1000 live births. The Joint Committee on Infant Screening 2007 recommends that all newborns be screened for hearing loss by 1 month of age, have diagnostic follow-up by 3 months, and receive appropriate intervention by 6 months of age. Objective: This descriptive study was conducted to determine the age at diagnosis of hearing impairment in deaf children and determine the factors affecting it in South India.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conductedon children with hearing impairment (bilateral profound hearing loss) attending 10special schools in Southern India.The cluster sampling technique was used to collect the data. Result: Our study involved 273 children in the age group of 3–22years.We found that the mean age at diagnosis of hearing impairment was 23.03(±3.696 SD) months while the mean age at suspicion of hearing impairment in these children was 13.70(±2.13 SD)months.The various factors responsible for the delay in diagnosis were financial constraints, influenced by friends and family, fear, and anxiety. The treatment-seeking behavior among the parents, lack of awareness of clear guidelines among the medical fraternity,and absence of awarenessof this problem among the general public also contributed to the delay