徳島大学病院小児難聴外来と徳島県の難聴児を支える連携

For hearing impaired children to speak and achieve language development, not only early detection of hearing loss but also early treatment are medically necessary. Undetected bilateral hearing loss in children delays speech, and language may not fully develop spontaneously. The Tokushima prefecture, division of pediatric otology, department of otolaryngology, Tokushima University Hospital, is the only specialized department for hearing loss children. To make a diagnosis of hearing loss, we conduct a combination of auditory examinations for children focusing on their auditory skill development. Early special educational systems for deaf and hard of hearing children is also needed for language development. On the diagnosis of bilateral moderate to severe hearing loss, we introduce them to Tokushima Prefectural Tokushima School of the Deaf, the only school for deaf and hard of hearing children in Tokushima. Hearing loss raises speech language communication difficulty, and can affect their cognitive capacity. And even if with mild bilateral hearing loss, they have also difficulty with speech language communication such as listening and need hearing aids and educational support. We are in partnership with their teacher to support them to hear clearly in classroom. If they have severe to profound hearing loss and speech does not develop even when wearing power hearing aids, we perform a cochlear implantation in Tokushima University Hospital. In Tokushima, before cochlear implantation operations take place, surgeons, pediatric otology doctors, school doctor, teachers from school of deaf, and speech therapist for habilitation have a multidisciplinary meeting to share the hearing impaired children’s information and plan to support them and make a habilitation schedule. In addition, for hearing impaired children wearing hearing aids and a cochlear implant it is still difficult to hear the teacher’s words especially in noisy classroom. Wireless Communication systems bring the teacher’s words directly into the children’s hearing aids and cochlear implant in a noisy classroom so they can learn successfully. In Tokushima prefecture, long-term follow up schedules and support for hearing impaired children work. Medical-educational cooperation makes their language development come true.