[Meningitis as cause of prelingual deafness].

In an examination of 624 prelingual deaf children in the Christian Institute for deaf children 'Effatha' in Voorburg special attention was paid to deafness caused by meningitis. This diagnosis was made in 70 persons. In 41 of these the pathogen of meningitis could be traced. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the main causative organism of meningitis and subsequent deafness (60%). Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli and Neisseria meningitidis follow with 12, 9 and 7% respectively. We emphasize the timely audiologic control of all children who suffered a meningitis.