Auditory Impairment in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of conditions that affect control of movement and posture.The aim of our study was to detect early changes in audiologic function in children with cerebral palsy. Data resulting from audiometry, tympanometry and auditory brain stem response of thirty children with cerebral palsy were collected and analyzed. Abnormal tympanometry in the form of secretory otitis media and Eustachian tube dysfunction was present in 52% of spastic quadriplegic patients, while sensorineural hearing loss was present in 40% of our patients. Early audiological assessment in children with cerebral palsy, allows early aural habilitation which enable better development of hearing and speech in these children and hence, auditory brain stem testing should be incorporated into the diagnostic plan of all children with spastic cerebral palsy