Canale A, Favero E, Lacilla M, Recchia E, Schindler A, Roggero N, Albera R
Department of Clinical Physiopathology, II Section of ENT, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2006 Jul;70(7):1283-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2006.01.008. Epub 2006 Feb 20.
Aim of the study was to assess the mean age at diagnosis of bilateral congenital hearing loss in the Audiology and Phoniatry Centre of the University of Turin, pointing out, by North-West Italy experience, the role of the newborn hearing screening in anticipating the age of diagnosis.
This was a retrospective study. Forty-six congenital deaf babies were reviewed and age at diagnosis was assessed for each, taking in consideration the role of hearing loss risk factors. Eighteen babies (39%) were sent by the centres that participate to the newborn hearing screening program while 28 (61%) came for parental or pediatrician suspicion of hearing loss and for general language delay. Sixteen babies (35%) presented risk factors for hearing loss.
The mean age of identification of severe to profound hearing loss was 20.5 months (S.D.=15.3) in the whole group; considering the group of 28 babies not screened the mean age was 29.3 months (S.D.=13.4). This value decreased to 6.8 months (S.D.=3.6) in the group which underwent screening programme. This difference was statistically significant at Student's t-test (p<0.001). The average ages of diagnosis for healthy versus high risk children were significantly different only in the group of screened babies (p<0.05).
Childhood hearing impairment is one of the most common of congenital disorders, and even though there is a general trend of early identification, in reality age of diagnosis is as yet still too late even in developed countries. Our results show that newborn hearing screening could reduce the age at which infants with hearing loss are diagnosed and treated; this would improve speech, language, auditory outcome and the quality of parents and infant life.
本研究旨在评估都灵大学听力学与语音治疗中心诊断双侧先天性听力损失的平均年龄，并通过意大利西北部的经验指出新生儿听力筛查在提前诊断年龄方面的作用。
这是一项回顾性研究。对46名先天性耳聋婴儿进行了回顾，并评估了每名婴儿的诊断年龄，同时考虑了听力损失风险因素的作用。18名婴儿（39%）由参与新生儿听力筛查项目的中心送来，而28名婴儿（61%）因家长或儿科医生怀疑听力损失以及一般语言发育迟缓前来就诊。16名婴儿（35%）存在听力损失风险因素。
整个组中，重度至极重度听力损失的平均确诊年龄为20.5个月（标准差=15.3）；在未接受筛查的28名婴儿组中，平均年龄为29.3个月（标准差=13.4）。在接受筛查项目的组中，这一数值降至6.8个月（标准差=3.6）。在学生t检验中，这种差异具有统计学意义（p<0.001）。健康儿童与高危儿童的平均诊断年龄仅在接受筛查的婴儿组中有显著差异（p<0.05）。
儿童听力障碍是最常见的先天性疾病之一，尽管总体上有早期识别的趋势，但实际上即使在发达国家，诊断年龄仍然太晚。我们的结果表明，新生儿听力筛查可以降低听力损失婴儿的诊断和治疗年龄；这将改善言语、语言、听觉结果以及家长和婴儿的生活质量。
