Objective To investigate the effects of the intervention,rehabilitation and speech development of children with severe hearing loss in some rural areas.Methods 61 children,including 35 males and 26 females,were diagnosed as severe hearing loss with ABR and 40 Hz-AERP from June 2004 to July 2008.All the children failed hearing screening or visited the hospital as outpatients.The ages ranged from 2 to 72 months with the average age of 17.59 months.During telephone follow-up,the questionnaire was used to gather the data regarding the usage of hearing aids,hearing and speech rehabilitation,speech development,and communication abilities.Results 33 (54.10%) children were fitted with hearing aids,and 2 (3.28%) received cochlear implants,while 26(42.62 %) neither had hearing aids nor cochlear implants.10 cases with hearing aids also had speech training,whereas 23 children with hearing aids did not receive the training.2 cases with cochlear implants and 2 cases with hearing aids were found to have good speech development and communication ability,while 31 cases with hearing aids had delayed speech development.26 cases without any devices had to rely on sign language for their commumication.Conclusion Children in rural area with severe hearing loss experience greater speech and communication difficulties because many of them have no access to intervention and speech training.The results suggest that it would be very important to increase public awareness and educate parents to have their children wear hearing aids and receive speech training.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of universal newborn hearing screening in countryside in order to provide reliable evidence in launching this program all over the countryside of China. Method:Subjects were 12 638 infants who were born in 9 counties from Jan 2004 to Dec 2005. TEOAE was used for the fast hearing screening. Infants were screened on the 2-7 days after the birth. The re-screening was conducted in 4-6 weeks if failed in the initial screening,and follow-up were provided continually if they also failed in the re-screening. Result; Ten thouand eight hundred and forty-five of 12 638(85. 8%) were screened including 9 963(91. 9%) normal newborns and 882(8. 1%) newborns with high-risk. Seven thouand four hundred and fifty (68. 7%) newborns passed the initial screening, and 3 395 (31. 3%) people failed. One thouand seven hundred and ninty-three (14. 2%) infants were refused to be screened.Only 2 536 (74. 7%) were re-screened on time, and 859(25. 3%) did not receive re-screening. One hundred and twenty were failed in the re-screening or first screening, and 79 (65. 8%)of them received diagnostic assessment. Among the infants received diagnostic assessment, 6(7.6%)ca-ses were found to have profound hearing loss in both ears, 9(11. 4%)cases were found to be severe hearing loss(7 in both ears and 2 in single ear) , 11(13. 9%)cases were found to be moderate hearing loss (5 in both ear and 6 in single ear), 26 (32. 9%) were found to have slight hearing loss (11 in both ear and 15 in single ears), and 27 (34.2%) were normal. Fifty-two infants were diagnosed as hearing loss with a prevalence of congenital hearing loss(in binaural and monaural) of 0. 5%(52/10845)and a prevalence of bilateral hearing loss of 0. 3%(29/10845). A prevalence of congenital hearing loss was 0. 2% (22/9 963) in well infants and 3. 4% (30/882) in high risk infants. Among the 13 cases of children with severe and profound hearing loss in both ears children, 8(61. 5%)cases were fitted with hearing aids and 1 (7. 7%) case was implanted with cochlear implants. Conclusion:It is necessary and feasible to conduct hearing screening program in the rural area. However, the suitable model to perform the program in the countryside needs to be set up as soon as possible in order to get more poor infants to participate into the hearing screening program for free and increase the screening rate.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of universal newborn hearing screening in countryside in order to provide reliable evidence in launching this program all over the countryside of China. METHOD: Subjects were 12,638 infants who were born in 9 counties from Jan 2004 to Dec 2005. TEOAE was used for the fast hearing screening. Infants were screened on the 2-7 days after the birth. The re-screening was conducted in 4-6 weeks if failed in the initial screening, and follow-up were provided continually if they also failed in the re-screening. RESULT: Ten thousand eight hundred and forty-five of 12,638 (85.8%) were screened including 9,963 (91.9%) normal newborns and 882 (8.1%) newborns with high-risk. Seven thousand four hundred and fifty (68.7%) newborns passed the initial screening, and 3,395 (31.3%) people failed. One thousand seven hundred and ninety-three (14.2%) infants were refused to be screened. Only 2,536 (74.7%) were re-screened on time, and 859 (25.3%) did not receive re-screening. One hundred and twenty were failed in the re-screening or first screening, and 79 (65.8%) of them received diagnostic assessment. Among the infants received diagnostic assessment, 6 (7.6%) cases were found to have profound hearing loss in both ears, 9 (11.4%) cases were found to be severe hearing loss (7 in both ears and 2 in single ear), 11 (13.9%) cases were found to be moderate hearing loss (5 in both ear and 6 in single ear), 26 (32.9%) were found to have slight hearing loss (11 in both ear and 15 in single ears), and 27 (34.2%) were normal. Fifty-two infants were diagnosed as hearing loss with a prevalence of congenital hearing loss (in binaural and monaural) of 0.5% (52/10845) and a prevalence of bilateral hearing loss of 0.3% (29/10845). A prevalence of congenital hearing loss was 0.2% (22/9,963) in well infants and 3.4% (30/882) in high risk infants. Among the 13 cases of children with severe and profound hearing loss in both ears children, 8 (61.5%) cases were fitted with hearing aids and 1 (7.7%) case was implanted with cochlear implants. CONCLUSION It is necessary and feasible to conduct hearing screening program in the rural area. However, the suitable model to perform the program in the countryside needs to be set up as soon as possible in order to get more poor infants to participate into the hearing screening program for free and increase the screening rate.
China ; epidemiology ; Feasibility Studies ; Hearing Loss ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Neonatal Screening ; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous ; Prevalence ; Rural Population