Down syndrome children have high risk of ear infections: expert

Chennai:

Hearing impairments and octological problems are found in 38 per cent to 78 per cent of Down syndrome children when compared to 2.5 per cent for normal children, according to Dr Mohan Kameswaran of Madras ENT Research Foundation.

Addressing a the All India Workshop on intervention of Language, Cognition and Literacy in Children with Down Syndrome, he said these children have a much higher risk of ear infections and hearing loss.

Stenotic ear canals, inner ear dysplasia, malformations of the Eustachian tube (small, collapsed) are some of the problems these are prone to get, he said.

Hearing impairments may be masked in patients with intellectual impairment as speech delays, lack of response to verbal cues, resulting to come across as mental retardation.

All children with Down syndrome must have audiologic screening at birth, then every six months till three years with an annual testing of three years. Middle ear problems account for 83 per cent of hearing loss in Down syndrome children, Dr Kameswaran said.

He recommended Bone Anchored Hearing Aid for these children ands aid the hearing aid fixed to the bone is useful for restoring hearing.

The sound is conducted through the skull bone bypassing the outer and middle ear and therefore stimulates the cochlea, he said.

One of the most common syndromes is Obstructive Sleep Apnea present in 54 per cent of Down syndrome children. Symptoms of this is loud snoring, choking episodes, mouth breathing, day time somnolence, growth retardation and hyperactivity. This can also lead to cardio vascular problems. Appropriate evaluation and treatment can have a significant impact on quality of life of these children, he added