The prevalence of severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in Saudi children and the need for cochlear implants (original) (raw)

Objective: This investigation tries to determine the current status of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children from the provinces of Saudi Arabia (SA) and to report on those with severe to profound SNHL who are in need of cochlear implants. Material and Methods: A comprehensive survey of 10,000 Saudi children was carried out. The subjects were randomly selected from the four main provinces of the country. The main objective was to screen these children for hearing impairment (HI). A questionnaire was completed, and clinical examination and audiological assessment were performed. The confirmed and doubtful cases were referred to the main hospital for further audiological and clinical assessment including CT scan and auditory brain stem response (ABR). Results: The overall prevalence of HI was 13% (1241 out of 9540). There were 68 (0.72%) with severe to profound (76-100-dB loss) HI. Conclusion and Recommendation: The prevalence rate of severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss is high in our country compared to developed countries. Cochlear implant is a useful procedure for those with severe and profound SNHL, but hearing aids must be tried first. There is a need for more hearing and speech centers to be available for those in need of them, at least in the big cities in each province.