Investigating Gender Differences on the Age of Suspicion of Children with Hearing Loss in Iran

Early detection of hearing loss and timely rehabilitation in infants will reduce the possibility of delays in speech and language acquisition, academics, and social skills. This early detection is influenced by economic, social and cultural factors. The aim of present study is to examine the variable of gender on the age of suspicion of hearing loss, diagnosis, hearing aid prescription, and sensorineural rehabilitation in children with severe to profound hearing loss. This cross-sectional study examined 72 children (38 boys and 34 girls) with severe to profound hearing loss from the Khuzestan Cochlear Implant Center in Iran. The mean age of suspicion of hearing loss diagnosis was 9.05 ± 10.55 months for boys, and 10.02 ± 10.46 months for girls (P = 0.7). The mean age of suspicion of hearing aid reinforcement was 13.57 ± 8.1 months in boys, and 16.58 ± 11.9 months in girls (P = 0.2), while the mean age of suspicion of rehabilitation intervention was 19.21 ± 10.61 months in boys, and 23.76 ± 12.76 months in girls (P = 0.1). The impact of gender was not significant on the age of suspicion of hearing loss, diagnosis of hearing loss, prescription of hearing aid, and age of rehabilitation.