Hearing loss in children constitutes a considerable handicap because it is an invisible disability and compromises optimal development and personal achievement of a child. The period from birth to 5 years of life is critical for the development of speech and language;therefore, there is need for early identification and assessment of hearing loss and early rehabilitation in infants and children. Cochlear implants are the treatment of choice for patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. The goal of the present study was to investigate the different hearing impairment etiologies of patients implanted in cochlear implant program. The hospital based interventional study was conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur from July 2011 to Dec. 2013. Present study included 60 prelingually deafened patients who attended ENT OPD and underwent cochlear implant. The most common cause of deafness in our study was acquired (56.66%), which predominantly included perinatal risk factors (64.70%), followed by prenatal risk factors (41.17%). The second common cause was hereditary (26.66%), followed by unknown (16.66%). Infection and ototoxic drug history were the most common risk factors in prenatal and postnatal group. The most common perinatal cause was low birth weight and prematurity.
展开▼
