ArticlePloS one2016
Hearing Loss in HIV-Infected Children in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- Audiological assessment of children with HIV/AIDS: a meta-analysis.Jornal de pediatriaPooled it
- Reduced bilateral auditory cortex activation during pure-tone perception in pediatric HIV.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
- Hearing Abilities in Children with Perinatally Acquired HIV, Children Perinatally Exposed to HIV but Uninfected, and Children Unexposed to HIV.Audiology research · 2025Article
- Regional Patterns and Risk Factors of Hearing Loss: A Cross-Sectional Study Across Saudi Arabia.Cureus · 2025Article
- A Cross-Sectional Study of Audiological Assessment in HIV Positive Children.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2025Article
- Association of Hearing Loss With HIV in Children.Cureus · 2025Article
- Hearing Loss Detection and Early Intervention Strategies in Kenya.Annals of global health · 2024Article
- The Pathogenesis of Cytomegalovirus and Other Viruses Associated with Hearing Loss: Recent Updates.Viruses · 2023Review
- Pathophysiology and mechanisms of hearing impairment related to neonatal infection diseases.Frontiers in microbiology · 2023Review
- Middle ear pathologies in children living with HIV: A scoping review.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings · 2022Article
- Multimodal magnetic resonance neuroimaging measures characteristic of early cART-treated pediatric HIV: A feature selection approach.Human brain mapping · 2022Article
- Congenital Cytomegalovirus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Effects on Hearing, Speech and Language Development, and Clinical Outcomes in Children.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Review
- Child functioning and disability in children living with human immunodeficiency virus in a semi-rural healthcare setting in South Africa.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2020Article
- Panel 6: Otitis media and associated hearing loss among disadvantaged populations and low to middle-income countries.International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology · 2020Article
- Childhood hearing impairment and its associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st century: A systematic review and meta-analysis.SAGE open medicine · 2020Review
- Article
- Disability, social functioning and school inclusion among older children and adolescents living with HIV in Zimbabwe.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2018Article
- HIV status and hearing loss among children between 6 and 12 years of age at a large urban health facility in south western Uganda.International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology · 2017Article
- Validated Smartphone-Based Apps for Ear and Hearing Assessments: A Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2016Review
- High Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Otitis Media-Associated Bacterial Flora of Asymptomatic People Living with HIV at Morogoro Hospital, Tanzania.Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS CareArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionWith improved access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV infection is becoming a chronic illness. Preliminary data suggest that HIV-infected children have a higher risk of disabilities, including hearing impairment, although data are sparse. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and types of hearing loss in HIV-infected children in Lilongwe, Malawi.
methodsThis was a cross-sectional survey of 380 HIV-infected children aged 4-14 years attending ART clinic in Lilongwe between December 2013-March 2014. Data was collected through pediatric quality of life and sociodemographic questionnaires, electronic medical record review, and detailed audiologic testing. Hearing loss was defined as >20 decibels hearing level (dBHL) in either ear. Predictors of hearing loss were explored by regression analysis generating age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios. Children with significant hearing loss were fitted with hearing aids.
resultsOf 380 patients, 24% had hearing loss: 82% conductive, 14% sensorineural, and 4% mixed. Twenty-one patients (23% of those with hearing loss) were referred for hearing aid fitting. There was a higher prevalence of hearing loss in children with history of frequent ear infections (OR 7.4, 4.2-13.0) and ear drainage (OR 6.4, 3.6-11.6). Hearing loss was linked to history of WHO Stage 3 (OR 2.4, 1.2-4.5) or Stage 4 (OR 6.4, 2.7-15.2) and history of malnutrition (OR 2.1, 1.3-3.5), but not to duration of ART or CD4. Only 40% of caregivers accurately perceived their child's hearing loss. Children with hearing impairment were less likely to attend school and had poorer emotional (p = 0.02) and school functioning (p = 0.04).
conclusionsThere is an urgent need for improved screening tools, identification and treatment of hearing problems in HIV-infected children, as hearing loss was common in this group and affected school functioning and quality of life. Clear strategies were identified for prevention and treatment, since most hearing loss was conductive in nature, likely due to frequent ear infections, and many children with hearing loss qualified for hearing aids. Screening strategies need to be developed and tested since caregivers were not reliable at identifying hearing loss, and often mis-identified children with normal hearing as having hearing loss. Children with frequent ear infections, ear drainage, TB, severe HIV disease, or low BMI should receive more frequent ear assessments and hearing evaluations.
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Registered trials
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