Effect of passive smoking on measures of hearing of school-age children

Abstract

Recent studies have pointed to a reduced cochlear physiology in infants exposed to smoke during pregnancy. This reduced physiology could be an indication of risk for developing hearing loss. Audiological evaluation by objective and subjective methods can be used as an index of development of the auditory system, speech perception and auditory discrimination. The objective of this study is to test the effect of passive smoking on measures of hearing at school age. School-age children, without health complications, divided into two groups according to exposure to passive smoking: 50 children exposed to passive smoking in the home environment (study group - SG) and 50 children without family exposure to passive smoking (control group - CG) will be evaluated. Groups will be evaluated by means of evoked otoacoustic emissions suppression, the test of temporal resolution (gap detection) and auditory evoked potential long latency (P300). For the division of the groups will be evaluated by measuring cotinine (a marker of the metabolism of nicotine found in active or passive smokers) in the urine of the children. (AU)