Children who live with hearing loss

By KATHERINE HOBY

Hearing-impaired children in New Zealand are living with their impairment for an average of three years before it is detected.

For Deaf Awareness Week the National Foundation for the Deaf is campaigning for the introduction of screening for hearing loss in newborn babies.

Executive manager Marianne Schumacher says early detection is the best prevention.

In New Zealand two babies per 1000 have permanent hearing loss. The average age of detection is 36 months.

"A significant hearing impairment, if undetected and untreated within the first six months could have a profound effect on the child's development, education, and emotional and social wellbeing," Ms Schumacher says.

She says a neonatal screening process would help early identification of problems - and early remedial action.

National Audiology Centre figures show 8 per cent of children start school with some sort of hearing loss. The highest rate of school entrant hearing loss is among Pacific Island children, at 15 per cent, followed by Maori children at 13.5 per cent.

Some will have permanent hearing loss but most will have short-term impairment through glue ear. Treatment can stop long-term damage.

Glue ear is a condition where the middle ear fills up with a glue-like fluid. It is caused by a blockage of the eustachian tubes. These tubes drain fluid down from the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat and allow air into the middle ear.

When the tubes are blocked, a build-up of glue-like liquid in the middle ear may occur. The eardrum can no longer vibrate properly and hearing is affected.

Blockage of eustachian tubes may be caused by blocked noses, colds, enlarged adenoids, allergies, or irritation of nasal passages.

To allow air back into the middle ear the fluid may have to be drawn out and ventilation tubes (called grommets) inserted into the eardrum.

Once the air returns to the middle ear, hearing returns to normal.

Maori children are more likely than others to have permanent hearing loss, and this difference appears to be genetic.

The foundation aims to highlight the extent of the "invisible handicap" and educate people on how to prevent hearing loss, one of the country's greatest disabilities (about 450,000 people are affected).

Ms Schumacher says those who are profoundly deaf or hearing-impaired can suffer from feelings of isolation, vulnerability and depression.

She says one of the groups at greatest risk are youth.

"Research shows attending a rock concert can cause damage in fewer than 10 seconds," she says.

Ms Schumacher says clubbing and listening to loud music for hours will impact on hearing in later years.

"If we act early we should still have the majority of hearing when we are little old ladies and men."

Ms Schumacher says whether a person is profoundly deaf, or suffers a hearing impairment, the psychological implications can be severe.

"Hearing loss is not just about your ears. It is about a person's ability to communicate and participate in our society," she says.

"The social ramifications of hearing impairment are far-reaching for the person and their family."

One of the greatest public health problems related to hearing loss is occupational noise.

However, toxic noise from everyday appliances can contribute to hearing impairment.

Research from the United States Deafness Research Foundation shows that between two and three hours' use of a hairdryer, and just one minute's use of a baby rattle, results in damage to hearing.

Prolonged exposure to ordinary city traffic can be damaging to a person's hearing, and fire and ambulance sirens can cause permanent hearing loss in less than 10 seconds.

The National Foundation for the Deaf promotes the interests of deaf and hearing-impaired children and adults and their families.

Hearing tests will be free during Deaf Awareness Week.

* For more information on the National Foundation for the Deaf, call 0800 867-446, or check the website National Foundation for the Deaf

Further reading
nzherald.co.nz/health