Ear and hearing outcomes in Aboriginal infants living in an urban Australian area: the Djaalinj Waakinj birth cohort study

Tamara Veselinović; Sharon A Weeks; Valerie M Swift; Natasha R Morrison; June E Doyle; Holly J Richmond; Eman M A Alenezi; Karina F M Tao; Peter C Richmond; Robyn S M Choi; Wilhelmina H A M Mulders; Helen Goulios; Deborah Lehmann; Christopher G Brennan-Jones

doi:10.1080/14992027.2023.2252177

Ear and hearing outcomes in Aboriginal infants living in an urban Australian area: the Djaalinj Waakinj birth cohort study

Int J Audiol. 2023 Sep 11:1-9. doi: 10.1080/14992027.2023.2252177. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Tamara Veselinović^{1

2}, Sharon A Weeks¹, Valerie M Swift¹, Natasha R Morrison¹, June E Doyle¹, Holly J Richmond¹, Eman M A Alenezi^{1

3}, Karina F M Tao^{1

4}, Peter C Richmond^{1

5}, Robyn S M Choi^{1

2}, Wilhelmina H A M Mulders², Helen Goulios², Deborah Lehmann¹, Christopher G Brennan-Jones^{1

4

6}

Affiliations

¹ Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
² School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
³ Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
⁴ Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, Australia.
⁵ Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
⁶ School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

PMID: 37694733
DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2023.2252177

Abstract

Objective: Describe the ear and hearing outcomes in Aboriginal infants in an Australian urban area.

Design: Aboriginal infants enrolled in the Djaalinj Waakinj prospective cohort study had ear health screenings at ages 2-4, 6-8 and 12-18 months and audiological assessment at ∼12 months of age. Sociodemographic, environmental characteristics, otoscopy, otoacoustic emissions, tympanometry and visual reinforcement audiometry data were collected.

Study sample: 125 infants were enrolled in the study; 67 completed audiological assessment, 62, 54, and 58 of whom attended ear screenings at 2-4, 6-8 and 12-18 months.

Results: Of the children that attended the audiological assessment, 36.5%, 50% and 64.3% of infants had otitis media (OM) at 2-4, 6-8 and 12-18 months. Using a 10 dB correction factor, 44.8% of infants had hearing loss (HL) (≥ 25 dB HL) at ∼ 12 months of age. More males (X²=5.4 (1df, p = 0.02)) and infants with OM at audiological assessment (X²=5.8 (1df, p = 0.02)) had HL. More infants that used a pacifier at 12-18 months of age had HL (X²=4.7 (1df, p = 0.03)).

Conclusion: Aboriginal infants in an urban area have high rates of HL and OM, which requires early surveillance and timely treatment to reduce the medical and developmental impacts of OM and HL.

Keywords: Hearing loss; aboriginal; infants; otitis media; urban.