Subsequent hearing on the normal side in children with unilateral hearing loss found detected by newborn hearing screening

Abstract

　We examined the hearing management status in early childhood and the hearing level of good-side ears at age 3 and older in 65 children who were detected to have unilateral hearing loss at the first examination after newborn hearing screening.

　Of the 65 children, hearing management had been continued until the age of 3 years or older in 42 cases (65%), hearing management had been completed before the age of 3 years due to normalization of hearing bilaterally in 14 cases (22%), and hearing management had been interrupted because the children stopped visiting our center despite the absence of any change in the status of the unilateral hearing loss in 9 cases (14%).

　The average hearing level at the final visit (average age 63.6±15.7 months) in the children who had received continuous hearing management up to 3 years of age or later was less than 25 dB in 90% (38/42) of cases. There were 4 cases of hearing loss (1 case of mild hearing loss, 1 case of moderate hearing loss, 2 cases of severe hearing loss), of which the three cases with moderate or more severe hearing loss required hearing aids (even though two of the parents were unaware that the hearing loss in their child had changed from unilateral to bilateral).

　Hearing on the normal side of children with unilateral hearing loss rarely deteriorates in early childhood, but when it does, it is not always easy for parents to notice. Therefore, it was reconfirmed that it is important for the detailed inspection organization to follow-up regularly.