The effect of early confirmation of hearing loss on the behaviour in middle childhood of children with bilateral hearing impairment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if the benefit of early confirmation of permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) on children's receptive language development is associated with fewer behavioural problems.


METHODS
Follow-up of a total population cohort of 120 children with PCHI of moderate or greater severity (≥ 40 decibels relative to hearing threshold level) (67 males, 53 females; mean age 7 y 11 mo, range 5 y 5 mo-11 y 8 mo) and 63 hearing children (37 males, 26 females; mean age 8 y 1 mo, range 6 y 4 mo-9 y 10 mo). The main outcome measures were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by teachers and parents and the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS) which are completed on the basis of a parental interview.


RESULTS
Children with PCHI had lower standard scores than hearing children on the Daily Living Skills (p=0.001) and the Socialisation (p=0.001) scales of the VABS. They had significantly higher Total Behaviour Problem scores on the parent-rated (p=0.002) and teacher-rated SDQ (p=0.03). Children for whom PCHI was confirmed by 9 months did not have significantly fewer problems on the behavioural measures than those confirmed after that age (p=0.635 and p=0.196).


CONCLUSIONS
Early confirmation has a beneficial effect on receptive language development but no significant impact in reducing behavioural problems in children with PCHI.
University of Southampton School of Psychology, Southampton, UK. jsteven@soton.ac.uk
Jim
J
Stevenson
Donna C
DC
McCann
Catherine M
CM
Law
Mark
M
Mullee
Stavros
S
Petrou
Sarah
S
Worsfold
Ho M
HM
Yuen
Colin R
CR
Kennedy
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires