EPIDEMIOLOGY AND ETIOLOGY OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT AMONG INFANTS AND CHILDREN IN A DEVELOPING-COUNTRY .1.

Objectives: The study identifies children at risk for hearing impairme nt and determines the etiology, type, degree, and onset of deafness of Saudi children living in the city of Riyadh. The relationship to othe r anomalies is also explored, and a review of the literature is includ ed. Method: This study features an extensive screening programme invol ving interviews, clinical and laboratory examinations, anthropometric and audiologic measurements, and family demographic data gathering of subjects both in the field and in clinics randomly selected throughout Riyadh. A control group of normal-hearing children was also selected. Results: Of the 6421 children surveyed (55% male), aged 2 months to 1 2 years, the mean birth weight was 3050 g; the average number of sibli ngs was 5.39; and the majority were from consanguineous families. Male children, lower birth weights, ocular problems, consanguinity, perina tal problems, lower socioeconomic level, and a family history of heari ng impairment or other disease (e.g., meningitis) correlated with an i ncreased risk of impairment in these children, as did the attendance o f their mothers at an antenatal clinic. Conclusion: The study points t o the significance of hearing impairment and its effect on communicati on and psychological and educational development, as well as the neces sity for programmes to address these issues in children, both in manag ement and prevention.