Hearing assessment data in HIV-infected and uninfected children of Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

Researchers are showing that the rate of hearing loss in children with perinatal HIV infection (PHIV) is higher than in HIV-unexposed, uninfected children. These data, however, have been collected mostly in the USA; extensive hearing data from low- and middle-income countries are lacking. The purpose of this study was to collect audiometric data in PHIV and HIV-uninfected children living in Cape Town, South Africa. Questionnaire data along with distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and pure-tone testing were completed. Hearing loss was determined using the pure-tone thresholds defined as a pure-tone average (PTA) of 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz of >15 dB HL in the poorer ear. All data were compared between PHIV and HIV-uninfected children. Sixty-one (37 PHIV and 24 HIV-uninfected) children had hearing data. HIV status was not significantly associated with DPOAEs. The rate of conductive hearing loss was 11.5%; five PHIV and two HIV-uninfected children. The rate of any hearing loss was higher in PHIV children, but this difference was not statistically significant. PHIV children had a significantly higher mean PTA in the poorer ear than HIV-uninfected children. Conductive type of hearing loss was more common than sensorineural hearing loss. The underlying cause of hearing loss in the present study therefore remains unclear. Future research should include an examination of auditory neural function in an effort to determine the possible reason for differences in hearing.

Keywords:

• hearing loss
• children
• perinatal HIV infection
• distortion product otoacoustic emissions

Acknowledgments

A portion of these data was presented at the eighth World Congress of the World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Cape Town, South Africa. The authors want to thank the children and their families for their participation in this study, along with Marie Theunissen, Thandiwe Hamana, Kaylee van Wyhe, Hannah Martin, Kristin Pitera, and Lucia Kearney for their assistance during data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was partially funded by a 2013 Faculty International Program Development Grant through San Diego State University and the Harry Crossley Foundation.