Detection and prevalence of hearing loss in a cohort of children following serogroup B, meningococcal infection 1983-1987.

A study of hearing loss in 50 surviving children aged 2 months to 17 years, hospitalised with serogroup beta meningococcal infection between 1983-1987, indicated that 35 (70%) had a hearing assessment. The majority were admitted under the care of the paediatricians. Older children tended not to have a follow-up hearing assessment. Impairment of hearing was found in 3, (8.6% of those tested, or 6% of the whole group). Two similar studies in the early and late 1970s indicate comparable prevalence estimates. There is little indication that over the past 17 years the prevalence of hearing loss has declined.