title: Children With Mild Bilateral and Unilateral Hearing Loss: Parents' Reflections on Experiences and Outcomes.
abstract: Children with mild bilateral and unilateral hearing loss are now commonly identified early through newborn hearing screening initiatives. There remains considerable uncertainty about how to support parents and about which services to provide for children with mild bilateral and unilateral hearing loss. The goal of this study was to learn about parents' experiences and understand, from their perspectives, the impact of hearing loss in the mild range on the child's functioning. Parents of 20 children in Ontario, Canada, participated in the study. The median age of identification of hearing loss was 4.6 months (interquartile range: 3.6, 10.8). Parents appreciated learning early about hearing loss, but their experiences with the early process were mixed. Parents felt that professionals minimized the importance of milder hearing loss. There was substantial uncertainty about the need for hearing aids and the findings suggest that parents need specific guidance. Parents expressed concerns about the potential impact of hearing loss on their child's development, particularly at later ages.
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, and Elizabeth.fitzpatrick@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, and.
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grandpierre
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, and.
authors.forename: Andrée
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Durieux-Smith
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, University of Sherbrooke.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gaboury
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa.
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, and.
authors.forename: Eunjung
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa.
authors.forename: Nusaiba
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sallam
mesh_terms: D036262:Empirical Research; D005260:Female; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000523:psychology*; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*