AT-RISK POPULATIONS FOR HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN INFANTS AND YOUNG-CHILDREN

The epidemiologic patterns of childhood hearing loss are ill-defined. Patterns found in prospective observations of newborns in intensive ca re nurseries are quite different from the patterns apparent in retrosp ective studies of hearing-impaired children. High-risk registers, at l east those prior to the 1990 reformulation, missed about half of child ren subsequently identified as having hearing loss. Items comprising h igh-risk registers carry unequal weight. Children with sensorineural h earing loss have a disproportionately increased occurrence of otitis m edia, with its conductive hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss can be progressive. Case-control studies of children with hearing loss ar e needed. Efforts for the early diagnosis of hearing loss in children must take into practical consideration the uncertainties o available e pidemiologic data, and the clinical nuances.