[Detection and treatment of deafness in children].

Deafness must be systematically looked for in children during the first year of life, since the behaviour of a child with impaired hearing may closely resemble that of a child with normal hearing. Severe or deep deafness can be detected at birth by means of a babymeter. Between the ages of 6 and 18 months, sound-emitting toy tests enable deafness to be detected. It is only at the age of 2-3 years that testing can be performed separately on each ear to detect unilateral deafness. Treatment varies according to the degree and type of deafness. Conduction deafness is usually due to otitis media serosa and is treated with transtympanic aerators. Perceptive deafness requires acoustic prosthesis associated with orthophony and parental guidance.