Liat Kishon-Rabin1, Jacob Kuint2, Minka Hildesheimer1,3, Daphne Ari-Even Roth1,3. 1. Department of Communication Disorders, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 2. Department of Neonatology, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. 3. Speech and Hearing Center, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Abstract
AIM: To evaluate the impact of unilateral hearing loss (UHL) on early aural/oral communication skills of infants by comparing performance to infants with bilateral normal hearing (BNH). METHOD: Thirty-four infants with UHL (median age 9.4mo, 25th-75th centile 7.34-12.15) and 331 control infants with BNH (median age 9mo, 6.0-13.38) were divided into two subgroups based on risk factors known to cause developmental delay: low risk and high risk. Early auditory skills and preverbal vocalizations were assessed using two parent questionnaires: the Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale and the Production of Infants Scale Evaluation. RESULTS: Of the infants with UHL, 21% showed delays in auditory behaviour and 41% delays in preverbal vocalizations, compared to their peers with BNH (p<0.01). After adjusting for risk level, delayed auditory behaviour and preverbal vocalizations were approximately four and nine times more common in infants with UHL compared to BNH respectively (p<0.01). INTERPRETATION: This is the first study to show that infants with UHL are at higher risk of delay in early aural/oral communication abilities compared to infants with BNH even in the absence of other known risk factors for developmental delay. This has important implications for early intervention and habilitation of infants with UHL, in order to reduce some of the negative long-term consequences of what was once considered 'minor' hearing loss.
AIM: To evaluate the impact of unilateral hearing loss (UHL) on early aural/oral communication skills of infants by comparing performance to infants with bilateral normal hearing (BNH). METHOD: Thirty-four infants with UHL (median age 9.4mo, 25th-75th centile 7.34-12.15) and 331 control infants with BNH (median age 9mo, 6.0-13.38) were divided into two subgroups based on risk factors known to cause developmental delay: low risk and high risk. Early auditory skills and preverbal vocalizations were assessed using two parent questionnaires: the Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale and the Production of Infants Scale Evaluation. RESULTS: Of the infants with UHL, 21% showed delays in auditory behaviour and 41% delays in preverbal vocalizations, compared to their peers with BNH (p<0.01). After adjusting for risk level, delayed auditory behaviour and preverbal vocalizations were approximately four and nine times more common in infants with UHL compared to BNH respectively (p<0.01). INTERPRETATION: This is the first study to show that infants with UHL are at higher risk of delay in early aural/oral communication abilities compared to infants with BNH even in the absence of other known risk factors for developmental delay. This has important implications for early intervention and habilitation of infants with UHL, in order to reduce some of the negative long-term consequences of what was once considered 'minor' hearing loss.