In children with early-onset Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM), complications of the disease can affect inner ear function, leading to hearing impairment, reduced motor performance, and balance disorder. However, few studies have evaluated its impact on hearing level. Therefore, this study evaluated hearing threshold in children with and without T1DM referred to Amirkola Children's Hospital in 2023.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Children with type 1 diabetes may have elevated hearing thresholds; audiologists working with pediatric diabetic populations should be aware of the potential for early sensorineural hearing changes, though this single case-control study is insufficient to change screening protocols without further evidence.
Establishing a link between early-onset type 1 diabetes and subclinical hearing impairment could support the case for routine audiological monitoring in pediatric diabetic care.
- 01Case-control design compared hearing thresholds in children with and without type 1 diabetes in Northern Iran.
- 02Focuses on whether T1DM-related complications can affect inner ear function in children.
- 03Findings may have implications for audiological monitoring guidelines in pediatric diabetes care.
- 04Adds to a growing body of evidence linking metabolic disease with auditory system changes.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus in children is associated with changes in hearing thresholds compared to non-diabetic peers.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42630496
- DOI
- 10.1007/s40200-026-02051-x.
- Journal
- Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 3
- Population
- Children with and without type 1 diabetes mellitus in Northern Iran
- Intervention
- Audiometric hearing threshold assessment in children with type 1 diabetes
- Comparator
- Children without type 1 diabetes mellitus
Primary outcomes
Hearing threshold levels across frequencies; Prevalence of hearing impairment in T1DM vs. controls