¸ñÀû: We aimed to highlight problems faced by parents of infants diagnosed with hearing impairment
upon newborn hearing screening (NHS) and to suggest how support might be improved. ¹æ¹ý:We distributed a questionnaire to explore difficulties encountered by parents when seeking
support, whether they were satisfied with the support, and unmet needs. We enrolled 101
parents of infants with hearing impairments diagnosed upon NHS (hearing levels: 7.0105.0 dB,
mean: 51.5 dB, standard deviation: 27.7 dB). The results were compared by hearing level,
current child age, and residential area. °á°ú:Only 46 (46%) parents were satisfied with the support received, and 9 (27%) of those whose
children exhibited normal hearing were moderately dissatisfied. Medical care was viewed as
good but administrative support as poor financial assistance was lacking and regional disparities
were apparent. The hearing levels of children whose parents were dissatisfied with total support
were statistically significantly lower than those of children whose parents were satisfied
(p=0.0263). Since the quality of medical care has been improving year by year, it may be
inferred that, as a result, parents of more recently born children are more satisfied with their
medical support. Parents of children with poor hearing levels were more satisfied with
educational support than others, perhaps because their children attended special schools. °á·Ð:There is a need to address issues perceived by parents of children with hearing impairments.
The support available and ways to access that support must be clarified. Regional disparities in
support policies and education must be eliminated, and support requires more human
resources. |