Comprehensive Preschool Screening in Upper Austria for Early Detection of Hearing Loss: Prevalence, Follow-Up, and Outcomes of the Last Eight Years

Background/Objectives: Children with normal newborn hearing screening results can develop hearing loss from various causes during their first years of life. Since 2016, a hearing and speech-language pathology screening has been conducted annually in kindergartens in Upper Austria in children aged 4 to 5 years. If an abnormal result is found, further evaluation is recommended. Methods: Data from the kindergarten hearing screening from 2018 to 2025 and hearing and speech screening from 2022/2023 were retrospectively analyzed. In addition, a prospective questionnaire survey was conducted with the parents of children who had an abnormal hearing screening result in 2024/2025. The survey asked whether the parents followed the recommendation for further evaluation and what the outcome of that evaluation was. Results: From 2018 to 2025, between 14,975 (2024) and 17,101 (2020) children were screened annually. The prevalence of abnormal hearing screening results ranged from 5.89% (2020) to 8.17% (2022). Abnormal grammar and articulation were found in 18.68% and 68.28% of the in-depth analyzed screenings of 4–5-year-old children in 2022, respectively. A total of 209 questionnaires were evaluated in the prospective questionnaire study. Approximately 70% of the participating parents reported having their child undergo the recommended evaluation by an ORL specialist. According to the parents, the most frequent cause of hearing impairment was middle ear effusion or Eustachian tube dysfunction. No new cases of sensorineural hearing loss were diagnosed in this population of 209 children, according to the parents surveyed. Conclusions: Nationwide screening in kindergartens allows for the early detection of hearing loss in early childhood, enabling children to receive evaluation and treatment. This is supported by the fact that, according to their parents, almost a quarter of the children with abnormal hearing screening results received a diagnosis requiring treatment from an ORL specialist.