Factors impacting hearing aid performance outcomes for Egyptian hearing impaired children

Abstract

Despite recent technological advances in the audiologic assessment of children, their hearing aid fitting remains a daunting task. Aims of studyTo assess effectiveness of amplification in children using aided sound field tests and Auditory Behavior in Everyday Life (ABEL) questionnaire and to elucidate factors contributing to poor outcomes.MethodsDetailed medical history, otoscopic examination, basic audiological evaluation, aided sound field tests and ABEL questionnaire for 114 hearing impaired children aged 4–16 years.ResultsCongenital HL considered the commonest cause of HL (55.3%), 36% had unknown cause and 8.8% of HI had acquired cause. Profound loss in 67.5%, severe in 17% and 54.4% of them (54.4%) were fitted around the age of 3 years. Binaural HA in 88.6% and digital type for 61.4%. There were statistically significant differences between unaided and aided values in sound field tests for HI children.Poor performance in direct measures and ABEl in children with congenital and profound degree of hearing loss, better response when they were fitted earlier with digital aids. ABEL scores showed negative correlations with aided tonal sound field test and positive with aided speech discrimination score.ConclusionsInappropriate amplification, late age of fitting with no speech therapy were clinical red flags for poor outcomes. ABEL questionnaire was a valid procedure to assess the hearing aids appropriateness.