Preliminary report: suspicion of hearing-loss at age 0-1 years by TV viewing attitude.
To determine any difference of TV viewing attitude between normal and hearing-loss children, 14 normal and 8 sensory impaired infants/toddlers were observed separately in a playroom with a TV set showing a 12-min videotape. All children enjoyed TV and showed clear differences in TV viewing behavior between hearing-loss and auditory normal children. At the beginning of their favorite programs or changes in programs, normal infants/toddlers were quickly aware of the TV sound and turned toward the TV set, where as hearing-loss children remained unaware. Our observation proved the intact hearing of two clients who had not responded to regular infant auditory tests. Moreover, we surveyed 65 hearing-loss children. Only 21% of them began to watch TV at 0 year of age, 50% at 1 year. They did it apparently later than normal infants who began to watch TV mostly before 1 year of age in the Japanese general population. From fitting with a hearing aid, however, most of them began to enjoy TV, watch it longer, have their favorite programs (music, songs, etc.) and turn to face the TV whenever a favorite program began. This suggests hearing acuity is important to enjoy TV. Since TV is already familiar and attractive to most any children, it is a useful and sensitive tool for early detection of hearing-loss children at 6-18 months of age.
Tanimura
M
M
Department of Child Ecology, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Matsui
I
I
Kobayashi
N
N
Koga
K
K
Oshima
T
T
Mochizuki
T
T
D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013690:Television