Resting hearing thresholds in children aged 7-10 years

Resting hearing thresholds were measured in 107 children in
7-10 years of age category, from primary schools in Warsaw. The children were
recruited regardless of the priority of these in which problems with hearing
acuity were observed or these in which such problems might have been expected on
the grounds of their children-illness history. The measurements were performed
with the use of tonal audiometry with intermittent 250/250ms signal, in the
range of frequencies from 100Hz to 16kHz. In the children with deeper hearing
loss, both air and bone conduction procedures were used. In the tested group
normal hearing within [ampersand]plusmn;10dB was found in only 13% of the children. In the
rest of the group hearing loss of various nature was found, i.e.: wideband
hearing loss (8%), high frequency (24%), selective V-dip type (36%), low
frequency (54%) and deep hearing loss of various configurations (16%). In the
fraction with low frequency hearing loss often conductive hearing loss was
found, whilst in the case of high frequency hearing loss, bone conduction
audiometry indicated sensorineural type of hearing loss. High frequency hearing
loss, selective and low frequency hearing loss in excess of 20dB was found in
25% of the children tested. In the fraction with deep hearing loss in 25% of the
children tested, hearing loss of approximately 40dB was found.