An approach to hearing loss in children

Copley, Graeme; Friderichs, Niki

doi:10.1080/20786204.2010.10873928

Cited by 12 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The only ‘formalised’ screening for hearing loss by the South African Department of Health (DoH) 22 that is generally available, is the voice test and the Swart questionnaire. 23 It is important that PHC nurses be very familiar with both these tests to ensure early identification and intervention of hearing loss. According to the DoH, 22 it is protocol for nurses to complete a subjective screening test, such as the Swart questionnaire 24 or the voice test, with children suspected of having a hearing loss.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The hearing screening experiences and practices of primary health care nurses: Indications for referral based on high-risk factors and community views about hearing loss

Khan

Joseph

Adhikari

2018

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

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BackgroundIn South Africa, primary health care is the first point of contact with the health system for at least 85% of the population, yet early hearing detection and intervention continues to be elusive in these settings. Nurses at community level may, therefore, be missing an opportunity to identify prelingual infants with hearing losses and alter their developmental trajectory.AimTo determine primary health care nurses’ experiences, practices and beliefs regarding hearing loss in infants.SettingThe study was conducted in the eThekwini District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.MethodsA descriptive survey was used with quantitative methods of analysis. Fourteen primary health care clinics from the eThekwini district were selected, from which 75 nurses participated by completing a self-administered questionnaire.ResultsAt least one-third of primary health care nurses had never screened a child for hearing loss, and most clinics did not have access to basic hearing screening equipment or materials. Only 49% of nurses had access to an otoscope, while 31% used the Road to Health Development screener to check for hearing loss. None of the clinics had access to an otoacoustic emission screener nor the Swart questionnaire. Although nurses reported that they would refer to audiology services for some of the risk factors, as indicated on the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 2007 list, they were less likely to refer if the child was in a neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) longer than five days, had neurodegenerative disorders, meningitis, hyperbilirubinaemia requiring blood transfusion or were undergoing chemotherapy. Less than a third of nurses always referred if the child displayed additional non-JCIH risk factors or those pertinent to the South African context. Approximately 38% reported that communities believed that hearing loss could be because of some form of spiritual or supernatural causes.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that hearing screening and referral practices at primary health care clinics need to be strengthened. Nurses need to be capacitated to conduct basic screening, make necessary referrals, provide information to caregivers and understand community beliefs about hearing loss in order to counsel caregivers appropriately and facilitate the process of early hearing detection and intervention.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The hearing screening experiences and practices of primary health care nurses: Indications for referral based on high-risk factors and community views about hearing loss

Khan

Joseph

Adhikari

2018

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

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“…Despite South Africa having a number of legal frameworks in place to promote the employment of people with disbailities, including hearing, there remains challenges to their inclusion into the labour market, since employers are unwilling to take the assumed risks (Hindle, Gibson & David, 2010). Sub-Saharan Africa is considered to have one of the highest burdens of hearing disability, and hearing impairment affects an individual's ability to obtain and/or maintain a job (Copley & Friderichs, 2010). Technological advances and the development of special needs schools in KwaZulu-Natal has resulted in an increase in the national working aged population of hearing impaired individuals.…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

The employment of individuals with hearing impairment in the KwaZulu-Natal private sector: Current employers’ perceptions and experiences

Doolabh

Khan

2020

JVR

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Background: Despite policies and legislation mandating the employment of persons with disabilities, individuals with hearing impairment continue to face barriers and challenges accessing the labour market and have typically experienced higher rates of unemployment or underemployment. In South Africa, the majority of individuals with disabilities remain dependent on social-welfare to meet basic needs and as a result, their potential remains grossly untapped. Misconceptions regarding the capabilities of hearing impaired individuals have resulted in the occupational marginalization of this population. Objective: This study aimed to investigate employers' perceptions and experiences in recruiting and retaining individuals with hearing impairment in KwaZulu-Natal Provinces' private sector. Method: A descriptive survey with quantitative methods of analysis was used to obtain information from employers, human resource personnel or management in various industries who have employed individuals with hearing loss. The Chronbach Alpha suggested that the self-administered questionnaire had good internal consistency (p = 0.858). A total of 30 responses were obtained from the 19 companies who agreed to participate. Results: Approximately 75% of participants indicated either a medium or low level of awareness regarding disability. Legislation such as the Employment Equity Act (EEA, no 55 of 1998) and the Skills Development Act (SDA, no 97 of 1998) were considered the most useful legislature, as indicated by 66.7% of participants. Those who indicated that external services or resources, such as the KZN Blind and Deaf Society and eDeaf were used during recruitment and retention were more likely to report to the benefits of employing hearing impaired individuals, this being statistically significant (p < 0.001). Less than half of the participants reported that reasonable accommodations were provided for their employees, and half indicated that they were willing to provide sign language interpreters. Most participants (70%) suggested that communication difficulties, particularly in meetings, contributed towards poor employment rates amongst individuals with hearing impairment. Communication difficulties were further endorsed by 73.3% of participants as a major challenge when recruiting and hiring persons with hearing impairment. Other concerns related to the safety of employees and attitudes of co-workers. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a lack of familiarity of disability and disability legislature can manifest in reliance on erroneous stereotypes that individuals with disabilities are poor job performers and incapable of working independently. However, with the use of reasonable accommodations which includes sign language interpreters and desensitization workshops, employers were able to successfully integrate hearing impaired employees into the workforce.

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“…[20] Early identification and management strategies Approximately 123 million babies are born every year in developing countries, 737,000 of whom have Permanent Childhood Hearing Loss (PCHL). [21,22] Evidence shows that early identification of hearing problems carries a good prognosis even when treatment and rehabilitation is required. [5,[23][24][25] Significant language improvement has been reported in children confirmed to have HL and treated or habilitated by 11 months of age, when compared to those diagnosed later.…”

Section: Awarenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[27] Maternal and child health Evidence shows that hearing loss has a significantly higher prevalence than any other birth defect with a prevalence of as high as 4 to 6 per 1 000 live births. [21] The perinatal period may be complicated with conditions that can affect the sensory and neural organs of hearing, resulting in HL. Encouragement to attend antenatal clinics, immunisation and proper nutrition during pregnancy as well as delivery in a supervised setting are measures which would go a long way to prevent congenital HL and consequences thereof.…”

Section: Primary Ear and Hearing Care (Pehc)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hearing Lossin resource-limited settings: The Silent Overlooked Epidemic In Sub-Saharan African Children

Mukara¹,

Kyamanywa²

2019

Rwanda Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences

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Hearing Impairment is the most common disability reported worldwide and its consequences profoundly affect quality of life while impacting heavily on the economy. Despite this acknowledgement, priorities for healthcare in developing countries fall heavily on conditions such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, thus shifting attention away from other diseases and disabilities. The objective of this review was to outline key priority areas that should inform drafting policies for hearing impairment in developing countries. We undertook a literature search on PubMed, Google scholar, HINARI and Web of Science for publications discussing hearing loss in low-and middle-income countries. Search terms included "hearing loss", "primary ear hearing care", "hearing loss policies", "hearing loss prevention", "hearing loss causes" and "hearing loss detection". We did not limit the publication period. However, we excluded all publications whose content did not contribute to the objective of our work. Our findings are discussed and recommendations given

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An approach to hearing loss in children

Cited by 12 publications

References 19 publications

The hearing screening experiences and practices of primary health care nurses: Indications for referral based on high-risk factors and community views about hearing loss

The hearing screening experiences and practices of primary health care nurses: Indications for referral based on high-risk factors and community views about hearing loss

The employment of individuals with hearing impairment in the KwaZulu-Natal private sector: Current employers’ perceptions and experiences

Hearing Lossin resource-limited settings: The Silent Overlooked Epidemic In Sub-Saharan African Children

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