Assessment of deafmute patients: a study of ten years

Abstract

Present prospective study was conducted on 350 patients presenting with chief complaints of impaired hearing and delayed speech from 1996-2006. The aim of the present study was to fi nd out the prevalence of deafmutism in our area, the aetiology of childhood deafness and to ascertain the role of acoustic refl ex test (ART) for hearing screening considering brain stem evoked response audiometry (BSERA) as gold standard. A detailed history, clinical and other relevant systemic examination and investigations were done to fi nd out the cause. All patients were subjected to ART test and BSERA. Male to female ratio was 2.1:1. Prevalence was found to be 5.59 per one lac population in our district. The commonest age of presentation was in the second decade. The causes for childhood deafness were genetic (15.8%), embryopathies (10%), perinatal (10.8%) and postnatal problems (12.5%). In 50.6% cases it was aediopathic. Congenital syndromic abnormalities were found in 5.4% patients. In BSERA 21% patients were found to have residual hearing varying from 60 dB to 100dB. The positive predictive value of ART was found to be low (10.4%). Hence it was recommended that ART should not be used as screening tool for childhood deafness.

A cross sectional study of clinical profile of deaf mute children at tertiary care center

“…11 Singh et al, reported 10.80% perinatal cases while Kalsotra et al, reported only 4.60%. 6,7 In the present study postnatal causes contributes to 34% which is in accordance with various studies like Abolfotouch et al 10 In almost all the studies mentioned above the incidence of cases in postnatal period is almost same portraying same incidence of various infections in postnatal period amongst various groups of population. In the present study idiopathic causes contributed to 34% which is in accordance with Singh et al, (50.60%) and Elangos et al, (28.40%).…”

“…6 Singh et al, found in their study genetic causes of hearing loss to be 15.6%, non-genetic causes as 15.3% and idiopathic causes in 50.6% children. 7 Genetic causes of deaf mutism: The fact that genetic hearing loss is commonest cause of congenital and early hearing loss has also been reported by Wiley et al, 51.5%. 8 The findings in present study correlate well with those reported in literature.…”

“…6 Acquired causes of deaf-mutism: Present study was in accordance with Singh et al, which showed 10% prenatal cause and in study done by Abolfotouch et al, he found the prenatal causes to be 17.00%. 7,10 This difference might indicate level of care of expectant mother. In the present study the perinatal causes contributed to 40% which was in accordance with Elangos et al, whose incidence was second highest.…”

“…In the present study idiopathic causes contributed to 34% which is in accordance with Singh et al, (50.60%) and Elangos et al, (28.40%). 7,11 Prenatal, perinatal and postnatal form 3/4 th of cases which form preventable causes of hearing loss and can be improved by improving standard of obstetrics and neonatal care. This will require very concern efforts, in form of genetic counseling.…”

Factors Influencing Delayed Presentation of Congenitally Hearing Impaired Children in Rural India

“…Glusac, a Croatian poet said ''I am like a tree-trunk in a mountain deaf, and I might add dumb because I cannot speak for not hearing what is spoken'' [1]. The perception of hearing is very essential if one has to develop a means of communication.…”