Nearly one-half of children with aural atresia experienced delays in speech, language, or auditory skills, and children with such delays were fitted for hearing aids later, according to findings published in Ear and Hearing. Dylan K. Chan, MD, PhD, and colleagues conducted a retrospective chart review of 95 children with aural atresia, conductive hearing loss, and evaluations for delays in speech, language, or auditory skills, using demographic and clinical data to determine predictors of delays and risk factors for delayed intervention. Most children (89%) had unilateral aura atresia, and 48% had delays in speech, language, or auditory skills. A univariate retrospective cohort analysis showed that publicly insured, non-English speaking, and non-White/ non-Hispanic children were less likely to be fit with hearing aids in infancy, and children with delays were fit with hearing aids later, while a multivariate case-control analysis demonstrated that primary home language was a significant predictor for delays (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2-13.2).
