A PROFESSIONAL AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO IDENTIFYING HEARING IMPAIRMENTS IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Hearing impairment in children significantly disrupts speech, language, and cognitive development, often resulting in long-term educational, social, and emotional challenges if not addressed early. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 34 million children under the age of 15 worldwide live with disabling hearing loss, with nearly 60% of these cases being preventable through timely screening, vaccination, and improved maternal and child health practices. In developed nations like the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 2 to 3 per 1,000 newborns have detectable hearing loss, highlighting the importance of universal newborn hearing screening programs. However, the prevalence of mild to moderate hearing losses remains underestimated globally due to factors such as delayed parental recognition, socioeconomic barriers, and insufficient awareness among primary care providers, including pediatricians. In many instances, these impairments are only identified between the ages of 3 and 7 years, missing critical windows for intervention. Parents of children exhibiting developmental delays, particularly in speech and language (such as developmental language disorder or speech sound disorders), commonly seek assistance from speech-language pathologists, educational defectologists, or neurologists, frequently bypassing specialized otolaryngologists (ENT doctors) or audiologists (surdologists), whose roles are often underrecognized in many regions.

The diagnosis and rehabilitation of sensorineural hearing loss or deafness in young children pose substantial challenges in pediatric audiology, primarily because conventional behavioral audiometry, like pure-tone audiometry, is unreliable in children under 3 years due to their limited cognitive and motor responses. Objective electrophysiological and acoustic methods, including otoacoustic emissions (OAE), auditory brainstem response (ABR), and multi-frequency auditory steady-state response (ASSR), serve as the cornerstone for accurate hearing assessment in this demographic, enabling early detection and tailored interventions. This study, conducted at a research institute, examined 46 children presenting with primary speech delay complaints through a multidisciplinary lens, involving neurological, speech-language, and audiological evaluations. Findings revealed that auditory dysfunction underpinned 39.1% of speech delay cases, underscoring the imperative to integrate routine hearing screenings into standard protocols for developmental delays. Prioritizing such assessments before commencing rehabilitative therapies aligns with international guidelines from organizations like the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) and can substantially enhance developmental outcomes, reduce societal burdens, and support global health initiatives aimed at preventing avoidable disabilities in children.