Prognosis of Perceptive Hearing Loss in Children with Respect to Genesis and Use of Hearing Aid

Abstract

Eighty-four children with bilateral perceptive hearing loss have been followed up during a period of up to 15 years from the first reliable hearing test. The material has been grouped according to the probable causes of hearing defect. The cases with exogenous (acquired) hearing loss include three different groups: (A) Maternal rubella; (B) Perinatal accident; (C) Meningitis with or without dihydrostreptomycin treatment. The other main group includes cases in which the hearing loss is assumed to be of endogenous (hereditary) genesis. During the time of observation the majority of children had been using hearing aids regularly.

None of the children with hearing impairment due to exogenous factors caused by maternal rubella or acquired perinatally showed any signs of progressivity despite the constant use of a hearing aid.

All cases of hearing impairments caused by meningitis with or without dihydrostreptomycin treatment, however, showed progressivity of the hearing impairment. Whether the use of a hearing aid contributes to this progressivity or whether it is spontaneous cannot be definitely established. Spontaneous progressivity seems most likely however.

More than half of the reported hereditary cases with hearing impairments showed spontaneous progressivity. This progressivity had been characterized by a certain irregularity. During long periods of time the hearing impairment seems to be stationary, but suddenly progresses rapidly. The progress can either be bilaterally symmetric or asymmetric. Progressivity is probably not due to the use of a hearing aid, but spontaneous and due to hereditary factors.