Dr Natalie Zehnwirth1,2,3, Ms Libby Smith2, Ms Jessica Xu2, A/Prof Valerie Sung1,2,4
1The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia, 2Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Australia, 3Ballarat Health Services, Ballarat, Australia, 4The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
Introduction:
Concomitant developmental disability is common in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) children. We describe the early developmental profiles of DHH children and explore the child and family factors that are associated with these profiles.
Methods:
We report on data from DHH children aged 0-66 months who are participants of a longitudinal child hearing databank in Victoria, Australia. Developmental profiles were measured using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) across five domains (communication, gross motor, fine motor, personal-social and problem-solving). We reported descriptive statistics and used logistic regression to determine predictive factors associated with below cut-off ASQ scores.
Results:
Caregivers of 882 children aged 0-66 months completed the ASQ between April 2011-January 2022. ASQ scores were below-cut off for a significant proportion of children (35% communication, 24% fine motor, 23% problem-solving, 21% gross motor, 20% personal-social). Predictive factors for below cut-off development included: admission to neonatal intensive care, extreme prematurity, infection requiring intravenous antibiotics and having >1 comorbidity for all domains. Bilateral hearing laterality, use of a cochlear implant, jaundice requiring treatment and seizures were significant factors associated with communication delays. Use of a cochlear implant was a protective factor for gross motor development. Male sex and infection requiring intravenous antibiotics were associated with below cut-off scores for fine motor skills. Enrolment in early intervention services was a protective factor for communication, problem-solving and personal-social development.
Discussion:
This study highlights the importance of early developmental screening for DHH children, as these children have multiple developmental needs. The strongest predictive factors for below cut-off developmental profiles were admission to neonatal intensive care and the presence of comorbidities for all developmental domains. Cochlear implant use as a protective factor for gross motor development was a surprising finding. Early targeted intervention to support DHH children is imperative in maximising their functional abilities and wellbeing.
Biography:
Dr Natalie Zehnwirth is an Advanced Trainee in General Paediatrics and Community and Child Health, currently based at Ballarat Health Services. Natalie is undertaking research with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute looking into development within the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing population. She has an interest in developmental disabilities and promoting kindness and empathy in healthcare.