Evaluation of hearing among kindergarten children in Jazan (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

Interv Med Appl Sci. 2015 Sep;7(3):91-4. doi: 10.1556/1646.7.2015.3.1. Epub 2015 Sep 28.

Abstract

Introduction: Hearing loss among kindergarten children is considered as a major health problem especially when there is a deficiency in routine hearing screening during the clinical examination. The aim of the study was to detect any pattern of hearing loss among kindergarten children in Jazan (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).

Methods: A total of 1220 kindergarten students in Jazan (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) were subjected to meticulous hearing evaluation using otological examination, Tuning fork tests, pure tone audiometry (PTA), speech audiometry, and tympanometry.

Results: We found that 18 kindergarten students had type C tympanogram (Eustachian tube dysfunction), 28 had type B tympanogram (secretory otitis media with conductive hearing loss), 4 had chronic otitis media with conductive hearing loss, and 6 had mild sensorineural hearing loss.

Conclusions: Early detection and eradication of hearing loss improves quality of life outcomes of children which reduces the incidence of social burden from unrecognized hearing loss.

Keywords: assessment; hearing; kindergarten; outcomes.

Grants and funding

Funding sources: None.