Abstract

This paper presents the results of a survey for the causes of sensori-neural hearing impairment in Korea. The subjects were 1,676 children of total 2,928 enrolled in 16 Deaf Schools; two schools in each area of Seoul, busan, Kyoungbook, Kyoungna, Kyounggi and Chunbug, and each one in Chungnam, Chungbug, Chunnam and Jaeju. The data were collected by questionnaire with 28 items distributed to their parents. The filling in the check lists were performed by their class teacher, interviewer, for 18 months from September, 1975 to February, 1976. The questionable or missed problems were reaffirmed. The results obtained were as follows. Most of the reasons, 78.5% were acquired characters that could be developed during pregnant period, the time of delivery and the time of after birth. The pure hereditary reasons except the cases complexed with one or two were only 11.3%. Those who could not be defined with any reasons were 10.2%. Among the acquired causes, 5.8% of total subjects were developed for pregnance; 3.3%, during delivery; and 69.7%, after birth. In the pregnant period, the drug intoxications were 2.4% of total subjects, several diseases such as influenza, bleeding, surgical operation, venereal disease and rubella etc. were about one percent, and the accompanied with some symptoms of pregnancy intoxication and traumatic events were 2.4%. During time, the cases with delayed rhythmical pain were 16 persons, the immaturities were 11, the asphyxial cases were nine, the errors of forceps delivery were seven, the cases of low body weight inspite of full term were our, the cases with cesarian section were three, the head injuries were two, and the accompanied with three kinds of above reasons were three. During after birth, the cases with acute communicable diseases were 35.4% of total subjects, the fever unknown origin were 16.1%, the chronic otitis media were 3.7%, the meningitis were 3.5%, the gastric and nutritional diseases were 3.5%, the drug intoxications were 4.8%, the blood diseases were 0.3% and the other causes were 2.2%. Here by acute communicable diseases, some importances were measle, 10.1% of total subjects; meningitis, 7.3%; convulsion with some reasons, 4.9%; poliomyelitis. 3.2%; encephalitis, 2.4%; and mumps, rubella, pertusis, scarlet fever, and small pox were somewhat played a role in. Among 59 cases with brain diseases, 53 were concussion by the accidents, such as traffic and falling or sliping down etc., the cerebral paralysis and hydrocephalus were two, respectively. And the blood diseases were severe newjaundice in all five cases. If we were summarized with the above mentioned, most of the hearing impairments were introduced by the combined reasons with familial or hereditary factors and the acquired, than by a simple disease. Among the congenital or hereditary hearing impairments classified to now a day, we suppose that the many cases with the acquired causes during pregnancy, delivery and after birth were complexed. Subsequently, the maternal and child health should be more and more developed in our country, also.