An international partnership analysis of a cohort of Vietnamese children with hearing impairment

Abstract

Aim: A better understanding of the hearing disability situation would advance hearing health care in the developing world. Vietnam is a lower middle income country with hearing health care in its early stages of development. This study examined the situation (degree, types, and causes) of hearing impairment, the effects of age and gender on hearing impairment, and the age of identification and its relationship with degree of hearing impairment, in a sample of Vietnamese children with hearing loss.

Method: Sixty-nine participants aged from 20 to 129 months with prelingual-onset hearing loss were assessed during Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss international partnership activities. Data on hearing assessment findings, including case history and pure-tone audiometric outcomes, were analyzed.

Results: Results showed that the hearing loss of participants ranged from moderate to profound levels (mean pure-tone average in better ear = 95.9 dB HL, range = 51.7–125.0 dB, SD = 17.37). Sensorineural pathologies accounted for 80% of identified hearing loss. Maternal rubella was the most commonly identified cause of hearing loss, with this disease reported as confirmed in 32% of children and suspected in another 13% of the participants. Genetic factors were suspected in at least 13% of children. Age and gender showed no statistically significant associations with degree of hearing impairment. The average age of identification was 23.2 months (range = 2–68 months, SD = 12.82) and a greater proportion (65%) of children with profound hearing loss than those with milder degrees of hearing loss were noted.

Conclusion: To reduce the prevalence of childhood hearing loss and its adverse long-term effects, improved immunization programs against infectious diseases, further development of universal newborn hearing screening and early intervention programs, and greater access to hearing technology in Vietnam are highly recommended.

Keywords:

• Deafness
• Early intervention
• Hearing loss
• Hearing screening
• Prevalence
• Rubella
• Vietnam

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all those professionals who worked voluntarily in support of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss to collect the data presented in this study. The assistance of the Thuan An Education Centre For Disabled Children is gratefully acknowledged. We would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and the associate editor, Dr Joseph Kei, for their helpful comments, which helped us to improve and clarify the manuscript.

Disclaimer statements

Contributors A.L. helped plan the study, carried out the main data analysis and drafted the initial manuscript. P.S. coordinated all field work and helped to draft the manuscript. M.T. advised on epidemiological aspects of the data analysis and helped to draft the manuscript. D.A.D. advised on health policy issues and helped to draft the manuscript. B.M. conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding None.

Conflicts of interest P.S. is the founder/executive of the Global Foundation For Children With Hearing Loss. B.M. has conducted voluntary field work for the foundation.

Ethics approval Ethical clearance for this study was granted by the Faculty of Education Research Ethics Committee, the University of Hong Kong.