EXTENDED HIGH-FREQUENCY AUDIOMETRY IN PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN

Since adequate and reliable earphones are now available and standards have been established, clinical audiometry can be performed at extende d high frequencies (EHFs). In the present study, 47 preschool children (aged 4-7 years) were examined with EHFs (8-16 kHz) using the new Sen nheiser HDA 200 earphone. The hearing thresholds correspond to those o f other studies; the median thresholds and range increase with increas ing frequency. The medians and quartiles were: 10 kHz: 25 (5-35) dB(SP L), 11.2 kHz: 35 (20-40) dB(SPL), 14 kHz 40 (30-50) dB(SPL) and 16 kHz : 50 (40-60) dB(SPL). The hearing thresholds could be more reliably de termined in the older children (> 5 years) and were 5 dB better than i n the younger ones (< 5 years). Thresholds in the 10-12.5 kHz range co rrespond to those of adults but are more sensitive by 5-12 dB in the 1 4-16 kHz range.