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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Deafness in Tamil Nadu 3 times higher than national average

Deafness in Tamil Nadu 3 times higher than national average

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published Published on May 28, 2013   modified Modified on May 28, 2013
-The Times of India


CHENNAI: Hearing impairment being the most common congenital anomaly in newborns, the rising numbers indicate that the state would soon become the deafness capital of the country if efforts are not taken at the earliest to curb it, warn experts.

A study conducted by a medical team of the Madras ENT Research Foundation (MERF) found that six out of every 1,000 kids were victims of severe to profound deafness. This is three times the national average and six times the international average. The study conducted over a period of 10 years (2003 - 2013) had a medical team screening more than 50,000 children below 12 years of age across the state.

"Though there were several causes for deafness in children, it was shocking for us to find that consanguinity, marriage among relatives, was the main cause. Almost 66% of children born with congenital deafness were born to consanguineous parents," said MERF managing director Dr Mohan Kameswaran.

Out of the 310 children who were found to be suffering from permanent deafness, 208 were born to parents who are close relatives.

Doctor said the number of such marriages in urban areas were not much different from those in rural areas. Other factors that cause deafness among children are maternal infections like rubella, neonatal sepsis, low birth weight and neonatal jaundice. However, these factors contribute to one-third of the causes of deafness.

One way of bringing down the cases is spreading awareness against marriage between close relatives. "The government is taking a lot of steps to treat deafness by introducing free cochlear implants for children, but it is more important to educate youngsters who are prospective parents that the farther genetically the spouse, the better the genetic health of the child," said Kameswaran.

It is also important for parents to screen their newborns for hearing difficulty and make them undergo cochlear implants, if needed, before the age of three.

Such awareness would go a long way in prevention of deafness and other congenital anomalies and also improving the genetic health of the population.


The Times of India, 28 May, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Deafness-in-Tamil-Nadu-3-times-higher-than-national-average/articleshow/20300895.cms


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