Hearing Loss is the most common sensory disorder in children. In an authorized newborn screening project in the United States, they concluded that in each 100/000 births, 3 had PKU, 2 Galactosemia, 2 adrenal hyperplasia, 28 hypothyroidism, 47 sickle cell anemia and 314 cases had hearing disorders. Screening is being done in newborns for two main purposes: The first is early detection and timely rehabilitation in a period of time in which a child*s CNS has the highest potential and ability of neuroplasticity. Considering this potential aural rehabilitation will yield the best result.
The second is prevention of disability occuring secondarily. The only way of timely diagnosis of children s hearing loss is new - born hearing screening.
The best age of hearing disorder detection is before three months and the best time for aural rehabilitation is by six months of age. In our study, hearing loss spectrum is not comparable to other studies in developed countries. We believe that most parents and some physicians don t care for mild and moderate hearing loss in children and these hearing disorders are missed.
In reference to Deaf Welfare Clinic related to Behzisty Organization the lowest age of diagnosing of hearing disorder is 3 years, so, at best, we are faced with 2.5 yiars delay in diagnosis which is uncompensatable. In order to fight the dilemma of delay in the diagnosis of hearing loss, we should focus:
1) New born hearing screening and its follow up up to six years.
2) Offering more data on childrens hearing disorder to general practitioners and pediatricians about prevalence of hearing loss and importance of early detection.