Integration of Hearing and Balance Screenings for Preschool Children Aged 4-6 Years in Tehran, Iran

Background and Aim: Hearing impairment is the third leading cause of years lived with disability, particularly affecting children through language and speech delays, cognitive issues, and vestibular dysfunction. This study aimed to conduct both hearing and balance screenings for preschool children aged 4-6 years in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this study, 384 children (180 boys and 204 girls) from the east of Tehran city during spring 2023 participated. After taking the children’s history and calculating their Body Mass Index (BMI), hearing screening were performed at screening, diagnostic, and intervention levels. Balance function was screened using the balance subtest of the short form of Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency- second version (BOT-2). Results: Among 768 ears examined, the prevalence of hearing loss (HL) was 11.2%, ranging from slight to moderate HL. Conductive HL had the highest prevalence (9.1%), followed by sensori-neural HL (1.3%) and mixed HL (0.8%). Of these, only 3% sought intervention. The mean total balance scores for age groups of 4, 5, and 6 years were 22.05±3.40, 26.02±3.72, and 28.13±4.50, respectively. Boys, children with higher BMIs, those with HL, and those with lower physical activity had significantly lower balance scores (p<0.05). Conclusion: Given the type and degree of HL in preschool children and its relationship with balance scores, routine universal hearing and balance screenings for preschool children is recommended. Additionally, it is recommended to increase awareness among parents, child instructors, and pediatric healthcare providers in Iran regarding the importance of hearing and balance screenings for preschool children.