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Abstract
The concept of early detection of hearing impairment in child is often predicated on a specified time-interval for optimal speech development in early childhood. This has been facilitated by advances in objective screening methods such as Otto-Acoustic Emissions (OAE), Auditory Brain-Stem Response (ABR) and Tympanometre (Olusanya, 2001).
However, the prospects for this trend in developing countries remain doubtful, because of adverse socio-economic conditions. Consequently, the relative effectiveness of available tests was evaluated to determine the most viable option for mass screening based on findings from a broader study among 449 school entrants children (mean age 5.2 years) in Greater Cairo.
The accuracy % of clinical examination as a screening method of middle ear disorders in preschool children = 92.9% and error % = 7.1%. Although, the limitations of questionnaire as a screening method for early detection of hearing disorders in children, the administration of a well-structured questionnaire at school entry, complemented by parental education and combined with otoscopy, may constitute the inevitable and immediate option for an early detection program in a developing country.