Abstract
The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of congenital and early-onset hearing loss, and the influence of the known risk factors for hearing loss on infants in Jordan and Israel. Subjects were a total of nearly 17000 infants from both countries, including infants with and without risk factors for hearing loss. The hearing screening protocol included distortion product otoacoustic emission, followed in case of repeated OAE referral or high risk (HR) infant by diagnostic auditory brainstem responses. The results indicate that the prevalence and severity of hearing loss amongst Jordanian infants (1.37%) is remarkably higher as compared to the Israeli infants (0.48%). The overall prevalence of bilateral SNHL was seven times more in the Jordanian infants, 18 times in non-risk, and three times in the HR infants relative to the Israeli infants. Risk factors including family history, hyperbilirubinemia, bacterial meningitis, and associated syndromes were more prevalent amongst Jordanian infants. This unique study underscores the importance of sharing and exchanging information to create empirical data to guide health-care providers in adapting protocols to the local constraints in developing countries.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 528-536 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | International Journal of Audiology |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Sep 2006 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was supported by grants from the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO), based at Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto, The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and The Saul A Silverman Family Foundation (Canada).
Keywords
- Developing countries
- Hearing loss
- Israel
- Jordan
- Newborn screening
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics and Language
- Speech and Hearing