Fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss in children.
Childhood sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) that fluctuates or is progressive enhances parental concern and complicates medical management, hearing aid selection, and individualized educational planning for the affected child. Despite intensive multidisciplinary evaluation and intervention, continued threshold fluctuation or a gradual decline in auditory acuity may proceed unabated in a significant percentage of these youngsters. With the adoption of universal newborn hearing screening mandates by an increasing number of states, any challenges to the accurate determination of auditory thresholds must be addressed within the first few months of life.
Brookhouser
Patrick E
PE
Boys Town National Research Hospital, 555 North 30th Street, Omaha, NE 68131, USA. peb@boystown.org
D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D012720:Severity of Illness Index