Introducing a national paediatric hearing register in Sweden

Abstract

The National Paediatric Hearing Register (NPHR) was established by the Swedish Association of Audiological Physicians and is supported by the National Swedish Board of Health and Welfare. The NPHR includes Swedish children with permanent hearing impairment (HI) ≥30 dB in the best ear averaged across 500–4000 Hz. The NPHR proposes definitions and investigations, and provides a database platform for the collection of individual‐based data. These include hearing screening results, ascertainment, diagnosis, aetiology, other disabilities, neural, visual, balance and middle ear conditions and communication – as well as intervention and rehabilitation outcomes. The information is collected soon after identification and annually, from the regular follow‐ups. There are presently 20 collaborating clinics out of the about 30 clinics providing paediatric audiological health care in Sweden. This study includes 449 children from ten hospitals. Less than 5% of the children have acquired hearing impairment. The median identification age is 2.7 years. There is a statistically significant correlation between the degree of HI and the identification age. The children with the more severe HI tend to be younger than the children with more moderate HI when identified. Comparing boys and girls we found no significant differences between the two whole groups regarding age or degree of HI. In this material, however, boys' impairment proved to have been identified at a statistically significantly earlier age, on average, than girls' impairment (mean 3.0 and 3.5 years, respectively; p = 0.031).

• child
• preschool
• hearing disorders/diagnosis/epidemiology/aetiology
• human
• incidence
• registers
• epidemiology