Characteristics of children with unilateral hearing loss

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL), examine deterioration in hearing, and explore amplification decisions. Design: Population-based data were collected prospectively from time of diagnosis. Serial audiograms and amplification details were retrospectively extracted from clinical charts to document the trajectory and management of hearing loss. Sample: The study included all children identified with UHL in one region of Canada over a 13-year period (2003–2015) after implementation of universal newborn hearing screening. Results: Of 537 children with permanent hearing loss, 20.1% (108) presented with UHL at diagnosis. They were identified at a median age of 13.9 months (IQR: 2.8, 49.0). Children with congenital loss were identified at 2.8 months (IQR: 2.0, 3.6) and made up 47.2% (n = 51), reflecting that a substantial portion had late-onset, acquired or late-identified loss. A total of 42.4% (n = 39) showed deterioration in hearing, including 16 (17.4%) who developed bilateral loss. By study end, 73.1% (79/108) of children had received amplification recommendations. Conclusions: Up to 20% of children with permanent HL are first diagnosed with UHL. About 40% are at risk for deterioration in hearing either in the impaired ear and/or in the normal hearing ear.

Key Words:

• Demographics/epidemiology
• paediatric
• medical audiology
• hearing aids

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Audiology team at the CHEO for their input into this study.

Declaration of interest

This study was supported by an Ontario Ministry of Industry and Innovation Early Researcher Award and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award to the first author. We also acknowledge funding from the Masonic Foundation of Ontario for the Child Hearing Lab, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. The second author’s work was supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE-Saudi Arabia) and Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS – Canada). The researchers have no conflicts of interest to declare.