Mumthas A
Nidhi RS
Nishitha Mohan Philip
A hospital based case- control study was conducted with case being 50 children in the age group 5-12 years attending ENT OP, Medical college, Trivandrum who have been diagnosed to have hearing loss by doing Tympanometry and Pure Tone Audiogram and the control being 100 children without hearing loss matched for age from Paediatric ward, SAT Hospital, Trivandrum within a time period of September 2008 to November 2008.
The data was collected by interviewing the subjects based on a questionnaire, which contained the study variables. Univariate analysis was done by Chi square test and Odds ratio. The following factors were found to have statistically significant association with hearing loss based on Odds ratio: Low economic status(3.672), Rural residence(4.846), Family history of hearing loss(9.333), Antenatal X-ray exposure(3.174), Pre-term delivery(7.977) Caesarean and instrumental delivery(5.359), History of ICU admission(4.750), Breast feeding less than 1 year(4.195), Past history of infectious diseases like measles, mumps, meningitis(27.923), Presence of wax or foreign body in the ear(16.972), Ear infections(35.483), Asthma or allergy(13.857), Adenotonsillitis(126.000), Trauma to ear or head(3.381), Dip bath(3.326), Exposure to loud noise(10.954), Over crowding(14.710) and Passive smoking(17.379).
Multivariate analysis was done by logistic regression and the following factors accounted for 46.4% of total risk factors predisposing to hearing loss: Over crowding(P=0.000), Low socio economic status(P=0.007), Rural residence(P=0.000), Presence of ear infection(P=0.000).
These findings reveal the need for early intervention in children having ear infections. Measures should be taken to control other significant risk factors also.Early detection of cases by screening the high risk population is also recommended.