Audiological assessment of the auditory analyzer condition in young children in Tyumen

early hearing loss in children during the first three years of life remains a significant medical and social problem; it affects the development of speech and cognitive functions and increases the risk of social isolation, which requires systematic screening and timely rehabilitation. The aim of the study was an audiological assessment of the auditory analyzer in children aged one to three years in a preschool institution in Tyumen to identify risk groups and clarify the profile of disorders. The study included 113 children – seventy three girls and forty boys; age subgroups of one–two and two–three years were formed; otoscopy, tympanometry with interpretation according to Jerger’s classification, and registration of transient evoked otoacoustic emission using a broadband click were applied. Examinations were conducted under standardized conditions with the completion of individual protocols. Children with significant obstructions of the external auditory canal were excluded from further procedures to prevent result distortion. According to otoscopy data, cerumen masses that hindered visualization of the tympanic membrane were most commonly detected; this finding was somewhat more frequent among boys, including in the left ear – six percent compared to four percent among girls – and a similar ratio was observed for the right ear, which required targeted hygiene recommendations and repeat follow up. Tympanometric screening showed the predominance of type A in both sexes, approximately seventy eight to eighty eight percent depending on the ear, reflecting preserved tympanic membrane mobility, whereas type B was recorded in some children and indicated a possible exudative process in the middle ear, and type C testified to Eustachian tube dysfunction. Such results occurred within a range of three to nineteen percent and made it possible to identify a contingent for more in depth monitoring. The use of otoacoustic emission registration confirmed the feasibility of objective assessment of cochlear function in young children; interpretation was carried out considering the condition of the middle ear, which helped avoid false negative conclusions and organize referrals to an otorhinolaryngologist and audiologist. The data obtained justify regular audiological screening in preschool institutions in Tyumen, expansion of parental education, and the creation of programs for pre-nosological diagnostics and monitoring, which increases the likelihood of early detection and allows timely initiation of correction and rehabilitation.

young children, audiological screening, tympanometry, otoacoustic emission, hearing loss