Five-Year Hearing Outcomes in Children with Cleft Lip/Palate
Panida Thanawirattananit MA*, Benjamas Prathanee PhD*
Affiliation : * Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Objective : To investigate the hearing outcomes in children with cleft lip and palate or isolated cleft palate, aged 5 years.
Material and Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed for investigation of hearing outcomes in 35
children with cleft lip and palate, aged 5 years, Audiology Clinic, Srinagarind Hospital in 2011.
Results : Thirty-five ears in 22 children (50%; 95% confidence interval = 35.57 to 64.43) had conductive hearing loss. The
degree of hearing loss was highest in mild degree in 28 ears. The most common tympanometric type was type B (39 ears,
55.71%).
Conclusion : The prevalence of hearing loss in children with cleft lip and palate at age 5 was high. Conductive hearing loss
was the most common type. Therefore, audiological evaluation should be performed and followed until Eustachian tube
function completely recovers.
Keywords : Hearing outcome, Cleft lip and palate
