RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF THE PREVALENCE OF BILATERAL SENSORINEURAL DEAFNESS IN CHILDHOOD

This retrospective study was undertaken to estimate the causes of severe sensorineural deafness (> 40 dB HL) in children. The children were identified from case notes of all referrals made to the Children's Hearing Assessment Centre during a 5-year period (from 1st January 1981 to 31st December 1985). Results were tabulated and conclusions drawn following a literature search. It was deduced that following better antenatal screening, a more active immunisation program and improvements in resuscitation of small preterm infants, there was a shift of cases from prenatal to perinatal causes. The proportion of cases of severe sensorineural deafness was much the same as in previous studies.