Hearing Loss Common After Childhood Heart Surgery

According to a study, children who undergo heart surgery as infants are more prone to hearing loss and associated risks for language, attention and cognitive problems, by age four.

In a single-center group of 348 preschoolers who survived cardiac surgery, researchers found hearing loss in about 21 percent, a rate 20 times higher than is found in the general population.

The researchers recommend that children who undergo heart surgery have their hearing evaluated by age 24 to 30 months, to increase their chances of receiving timely medical intervention.

The authors mention possible contributors to hearing loss in their patients, such as high-frequency noises in intensive care units and exposure to medications with side effects that damage hearing, although the study did not directly examine either potential risk factor.

The authors recommend that any child who undergoes cardiac surgery by six months of age should have at least one audiologic evaluation by 24 to 30 months of age, to identify hearing loss in timely manner.