Hearing status in vitamin B12-deficient children.

Arzu Akyay, Erkan Soylu, Selim Ünsal, Hatice Demirol, Semiha Bahçeci

Journal of paediatrics and child health 2021 Jul

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The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency on hearing in school-aged children by pure-tone audiometry. Forty-three vitamin B12-deficient children and 37 age-matched control subjects were enrolled in the study. Tympanometric evaluations and pure-tone audiometry including high frequencies were performed on the subjects. The results were compared between the two groups. Both right and left ear pure-tone hearing thresholds (PTHTs) at 0.25-4 kHz, and four-frequency pure-tone average values were significantly better in the control group compared with the patient group (P < 0.05). However, PTHTs at 8-16 kHz were not different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Vitamin B12 level also did not show any significant correlation with the PTHTs at 0.25-16 kHz (P > 0.05). This study indicates that vitamin B12 deficiency may contribute to hearing impairment at low frequencies as a possible aetiological factor in children. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Citation

Arzu Akyay, Erkan Soylu, Selim Ünsal, Hatice Demirol, Semiha Bahçeci. Hearing status in vitamin B12-deficient children. Journal of paediatrics and child health. 2021 Jul;57(7):1060-1066