Prevalence of auditory problems in children with feeding and swallowing disorders

Purpose: Although an interdisciplinary approach is recommended for assessment and management of feeding or swallowing difficulties, audiologists are not always included in the interdisciplinary team. The purpose of this study is to report the prevalence of middle ear and hearing problems in children with feeding and swallowing disorders and to compare this prevalence with that in typical children. Method: A total of 103 children were included in the study: 44 children with feeding and swallowing disorders and 59 children without any such disorders. Audiological examinations included case-history information, visualization of the ear canals through otoscopy, middle ear evaluation through tympanometry, and hearing screenings using an audiometer. Results: The odds of excessive cerumen (p = .0000, small effect size), middle ear dysfunction (p = .0148, small effect size), and hearing screening failure (p = .0000, large effect size) were 22.14%, 2.97%, and 13.5% higher, respectively, in children with feeding and swallowing disorders compared with typically developing children. Conclusion: The significantly higher prevalence of hearing problems in children with feeding and swallowing disorders compared with typically developing children suggests that inclusion of an audiologist on the interdisciplinary team is likely to improve overall interventional outcomes for children with feeding and swallowing disorders.