Genetic and non-genetic hearing disorders and comorbidities: a study on the young population in the Emilia-Romagna Region

48^th Global Nursing and Healthcare Congress

October 13, 2022 | Webinar

Silvia Palma, Elisabetta Genovese and Valeria Polizzi

Audiology, Primary Care Unit, Italy
Audiology, ENT department, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia,Italy
Department of Audiology, Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Among congenital sensory disorders, hearing impairment is considered one of the most common, particularly associated with developmental disabilities (DD). In order to provide a diagnostic framework and information on the treatment of these disorders, reference can be made to the Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) present on the territory of Emilia-Romagna, a region in Northern Italy. The data collected by the Information System of Childhood and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry (SINPIAER), which has been archiving the clinical data of CAMHS users since 2010, have made it possible to assess the type of hearing impairment prevalent in the juvenile population, both in isolated cases and in association with comorbidities. The results of this study show that bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and bilateral conductive hearing loss are the most frequent, occurring in 69-72% and 8-10% of cases, respectively. Among DD, congenital malformations, mental retardation, visual impairment and cerebral palsy are the most common. Of particular interest is the increasing incidence and prevalence of autism spectrum disorders among CAMHS service users. It is of paramount importance for prevention, health planning and resource allocation to focus on the epidemiology of hearing loss in young people and other related conditions, such as developmental disabilities.

Biography :

Silvia Palma is currently involved in in setting up a neonatal hearing screening program for the province of Modena. From 2003 to 2007, she was an Adjunct Professor of Audiology at the ENT School of Specialization of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and was an Adjunct Professor of Audiometry at the same university from 2008 to 2010. Trained as an otolaryngologist, she obtained her PhD , curriculum in Electrophysiology and Cell Biology of the Auditory System at the University of Ferrara. She has studied language development in children with hearing loss and is currently involved in studying electrophysiology (brainstem response) in newborn and hearing loss, cooperating with the Genetics Unit. She boasts numerous collaborations with professors at various universities, including Prof. Elisabetta Genovese, Full Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. She is a member of the Emilia Romagna regional panel on hearing disabilities.