Childhood infections, but not early life growth, influence hearing in the Newcastle thousand families birth cohort at age 14 years

Abstract

BackgroundWhile current research priorities include investigations of age-related hearing loss, there are concerns regarding effects on childhood hearing, for example through increased personal headphone use. By utilising historical data, it is possible to assess what factors may have increased hearing problems in children in the past, and this may be used to inform current public health policies to protect children against hearing loss and in turn reduce the long-term burden on individuals and services that may possible evolve. The aim of this study was to investigate which factors in early life significantly impacted on hearing level in childhood using existing data from the Newcastle Thousand Families Study, a 1947 birth cohort.MethodsData on early life factors, including growth, socio-economic status and illness, and hearing at age 14 years were collated for a representative subset of individuals from the cohort (n = 147). Factors were assessed using linear regression analysis to identify associations with hearing thresholds.ResultsMales were found to have lower hearing thresholds at 250 Hz, 500 Hz and 1 kHz. Main analyses showed no associations between hearing thresholds and early life growth or socio-economic indicators. An increasing number of ear infections from birth to age 13 years was associated with hearing thresholds at 250Hz (p = 0.04) and 500Hz (p = 0.03), which remained true for females (p = 0.050), but not males (p = 0.213) in sex-specific analysis. Scarlet fever and bronchitis were associated with hearing thresholds at 8 kHz. After adjustment for all significant predictors at each frequency, results remained unchanged.ConclusionsWe found no associations between childhood hearing thresholds and early life growth and socio-economic status. Consistent with other studies, we found associations between childhood infections and hearing thresholds. Current public health strategies aimed at reducing childhood infections may also have a beneficial effect upon childhood hearing.

The Effect of Childhood Infection on Hearing Function at Age 61 to 63 Years in the Newcastle Thousand Families Study

“… Tambs et al (2004) found that ear infections were associated with impaired hearing function at frequencies from 250 Hz to 8 kHz and that this effect was stronger among women and those who had an earlier onset of ear infections. The findings of Tambs et al (2004) are similar to those from an earlier study, within the cohort, assessing the effect of ear infections on hearing thresholds at age 14 years ( Pearson et al 2013 ). Perhaps, ear infections only affect hearing in childhood and early adulthood.…”

“…In this study, data were prospectively collected on early-life factors, including the occurrence of ear infections during childhood, decreasing the likelihood of misclassification and other potential biases that may be introduced when using recalled information. A further study by Bauer et al (1991) also identified an association between ear infections and hearing loss (with findings comparative to those of Tambs et al (2004) and Pearson et al (2013) ). The study by Bauer et al (1991) used data from a “highly” noise-exposed population, suggesting that noise exposure and early-life infections are not competing risk factors for hearing loss.…”

“…In a previous study involving a subsample of the Newcastle Thousand Families cohort, for whom we have childhood hearing measurements, we reported that an increasing number of ear infections from birth to age 13 years predicted poorer hearing thresholds at age 14 years (250 Hz [ p = 0.04] and 500 Hz [ p = 0.03]). This remained true for females, but not males in sex-specific analysis ( Pearson et al 2013 ). Associations were also identified between the occurrence of scarlet fever or bronchitis (up to the 13th year of life) and hearing thresholds at 8 kHz when aged 14 years ( Pearson et al 2013 ).…”

“…This remained true for females, but not males in sex-specific analysis ( Pearson et al 2013 ). Associations were also identified between the occurrence of scarlet fever or bronchitis (up to the 13th year of life) and hearing thresholds at 8 kHz when aged 14 years ( Pearson et al 2013 ). Our current study has found that an association also exists between the occurrence of bronchitis (twice or more before age 5 years) and adult hearing function at age 61 to 63 years.…”

High Risk Factors Associated With Early Childhood Hearing Loss: A 3-Year Review

“…Recent research (e.g., Hille, Van Straaten, & Verkerk, 2007;Kraft, Malhorta, Boerst, & Thorne, 2014;Pearson, Mann, Nedellec, Rees, & Pearce, 2013;Pourarian, Khademi, Pishva, & Jamali, 2012) did not find an association between specific JCIH risk factors and hearing loss (i.e., low birth weight, congenital infections, NICU stay greater than 5 days, ototoxic medication treatment, mechanical ventilation, syndromes, craniofacial anomalies). In contrast, the current study showed associations between these risk factors and hearing loss.…”