AUDIOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN HEARING LOSS SECONDARY TO MATERNAL RUBELLA

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the audiological findings in hearing loss secondary to maternal rubella. The mothers of all but three of the 80 subjects contracted rubella during the first trimester of pregnancy. Over 75.0% sustained the infection during the second or third month of gestation. The greatest incidence of additional congenital defects was found in those instances in which maternal rubella occurred during the first month of pregnancy. In almost all instances, all other congenital abnormalities had been identified prior to diagnosis of hearing impairment. Therefore, careful attention should be given to the possibility of undiagnosed hearing impairment being present in children whose mothers contracted rubella during the time of pregnancy. Audiograms were available for 55 of the subjects. The majority of these 55 subjects demonstrated hearing impairments classified as moderately severe to profound in degree. Ear differences were found in only 16 (29.0%) of the 55 children. No audiometric configuration emerged as representative of hearing impairment secondary to maternal rubella. Nevertheless, 40% of the audiograms were falling in pattern. The majority of the subjects demonstrated sensorineural impairments. However, about one-fourth exhibited mixed-type losses, according to the audiogram.