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Causes of permanent childhood hearing impairment
Author(s) -
Korver Anna M.H.,
Admiraal Ronald J.C.,
Kant Sarina G.,
Dekker Friedo W.,
Wever Capi C.,
Kunst Henricus P.M.,
Frijns Johan H.M.,
Oudesluys Murphy Anne Marie
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.21377
Subject(s) - medicine , etiology , population , pediatrics , systematic review , hearing loss , medline , audiology , pathology , environmental health , political science , law
The causes of Permanent Childhood Hearing Impairment (PCHI) are often quoted as being hereditary in 50%, acquired in 25%, and unknown in 25% of cases. Interest in the causes of PCHI has grown recently due to increasing diagnostic possibilities. We investigated the evidence for the reported distribution of these causes. Methods: Population‐based study and a systematic review. Inclusion criteria for population‐based study: children born between 2003 and 2005, resident in The Netherlands at birth, known at an Audiology Center with PCHI at the age of 3–5 years. The causes of PCHI were determined prospectively by detection of congenital cytomegalovirus on dried blood spots and/or genetic diagnostic investigations in addition to reviewing data from medical records. A systematic review was carried out using three terms (hearing loss, infant, and etiology) and limited to articles published between January 1997 and July 2009. Main outcome measures were: the (weighted) proportions of the various causes of PCHI following diagnostic investigations. Results: In the study‐population (n = 185) a hereditary cause was found in 38.9%, acquired cause in 29.7%, miscellaneous cause in 7.1%, and the cause remained unknown in 24.3%. The systematic review of the literature (n = 9 articles) resulted in a weighted mean of 30.4% hereditary, 19.2% acquired, and 48.3% unknown causes of PCHI. Discussion: The systematic review and the results of the population‐based study provided little support for the generally accepted distribution of causes of PCHI. Laryngoscope, 2011