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Hearing loss risk linked to children with HIV infection exposure
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Children who contract HIV perinatally and those who are exposed to HIV may have a higher risk of hearing loss than the general population, but further study is required, according to a study published online.
Peter M. Torre III, PhD, of the School of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences at San Diego State University, and colleagues examined 231 children, 145 of whom who were HIV-positive and 86 of whom who were exposed to HIV but not infected.
Children in the study were aged 7 to 17 years; 53% were female, 77% were black and 29% were Hispanic. The researchers performed a “tympanogram in each ear and pure-tone air-conduction threshold testing from 500 Hz through 4,000 Hz.” The researchers defined hearing loss as the pure-tone average over these frequencies 20 dB or higher hearing level (HL).
Twenty percent of the children with HIV infection had early hearing loss, and the risk was “over twice the odds” for children with HIV with more advanced illness. In the group of children exposed to HIV but uninfected, 10.5% had hearing loss. Both groups experienced higher incidence of hearing loss than the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III standard for children, even when accounting for demographics and parent/caregiver association.
“Such sensorineural hearing loss could be a consequence of mitochondrial effects of HIV infection or antiretroviral drugs or past opportunistic central nervous system infections,” the researchers wrote. “On the other hand, these children could also have hearing loss on the basis of an undetected mitochondrial, genetic, or congenital abnormality, neurologic disorder, or damage from congenital infection (eg, cytomegalovirus [CMV]) or ototoxic drug exposure.”
Disclosure: Dr. Torre reports no relevant financial disclosures. This study was funded by the NIH and cooperative agreements with Harvard University School of Public Health and Tulane University School of Medicine.
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