Hearing loss and associated handicaps in preschool children.

In the Greater Stockholm area, 251 children born in 1976 to 1980 had hearing loss of such a degree that they needed hearing habilitation at the time of school entrance (prevalence rate 2.8/1,000). The prevalence rates of profound hearing loss (greater than 50 dB pure tone average) and monoaural deafness were both 1.0/1,000. The etiology of the hearing loss was heredity in 45%, unknown in 35%, sequelae of otitis media in 2% and related to high-risk histories in 18%. The high-risk history group includes the eight last known cases of congenital rubella. One associated handicap was present in 25%, two extra handicaps in 6.4% and three in 1.2%. Moreover, in 17% Swedish or Swedish sign language was not the vernacular. Nineteen different languages were represented among the children. Thus, an optimal habilitation program should not be based solely on the type of hearing handicap.