Hearing loss among Australian Aboriginal infants and toddlers: A systematic review

AIM: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have among the highest rates of otitis media (OM) and associated conductive hearing loss in the world. OM begins early in life and is well-documented in the research literature. In contrast, audiology data for the infant and toddler age-groups are limited. This review aimed to summarise the recent literature on hearing loss among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants and toddlers. METHODS: Systematic literature review. PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were searched for relevant journal articles. Key search terms were “Aboriginal”, “children”, “hearing loss”, “otitis media”, and their relevant synonyms. Journal articles published before 2000 were excluded. RESULTS: Only two journal articles met review inclusion criteria. Ear disease and associated conductive hearing loss was significantly higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. No intervention studies were found. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed to evaluate hearing health outcomes of medical (including surgical) and audiological interventions in this high-risk population.