THE INCIDENCE OF HEARING LOSS IN DOWN'S SYNDROME: A CLINICOAUDIOLOGICAL STUDY

CONTEXT: Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) problems are common in individuals with Down syndrome. High prevalence of ENT disease in Down syndrome is observed due to structural and functional abnormalities of ear, nose and throat and immune system of which hearing loss is one Hearing loss early in life leads to language disabilities. Appropriate screening would allow hearing losses to be detected early so that early treatment can be initiated. AIM: To assess type and degree of hearing loss in cases of Down syndrome. SETTING AND DESIGN: Cross sectional study at tertiary referral centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children clinically diagnosed as Down Syndrome (DS) aged between 3 to 20 years were evaluated. A detailed history, clinical examinations and hearing assessments such as audiogram, tympanometry and brainstem evoke response audiometry (BERA) were used to evaluate these patients. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients (120 ears) were enrolled for this study. This study showed that the commonest type of hearing loss were conductive in 68 ears (56.7%), mixed in 4 ears (3.3%). The other 48ears (40%) had normal hearing. Most of them fall in the mild level of conductive hearing loss. CONCLUSION: Conductive hearing loss is a common feature (56.7% of ears) in DS children.