Regional pecularities of child hearing loss in Sughd region of Tajikistan

Aim. To study the medical care of children with hearing pathology in the Sughd region and to develop recommendations for its improvement.

Material and research methods. On the basis of data from the ENT departments of the Central District Hospital of the cities of Isfara, Istaravshan and Aini in the Republic of Tajikistan, active (door-to-door) and passive (admission of patients to a polyclinic) methods were used to study the ENT organs of 400 children.

The research began by determining the availability of audiological institutions in the regions of Sughd and the effectiveness of their dispensary activities. Then the outpatient cards of children with hearing loss registered in the polyclinics were studied. Then, hearing screening was carried out on children from the 1st to the 3rd grade, during which the ear was examined, the condition of the middle ear - tympanometry - and the functional condition of the cells of the inner ear - otoacoustic emission with threshold audiometry - were determined.

Results of the study and their discussion. It was found that about 10% of children with hearing loss receive the necessary medical care according to the “early intervention standard”. The main reasons for the late diagnosis of hearing loss in this group and, consequently, its late rehabilitation were identified.

Conclusions. For early detection of hearing problems in children, the following measures should be taken 1) control of the 1st stage of hearing screening in newborns, transfer of information about children to be examined in the 2nd stage in specialized institutions; 2) use of additional hearing tests in children aged 1 and 7 years; 3) familiarisation of paediatricians, neurologists and the public with the causes, diagnosis and restoration of hearing loss in children.

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