Saudi- Study blames consanguineous marriages for hearing disabilities

(MENAFN- Arab News) The first regional survey on problems of hearing deficiencies in the Kingdom and the Middle East has been published. The survey was done in participation with a number of regional and local specialists on hearing loss and showed that 71 percent of Saudi citizens with disabilities have been classified as having a hearing impairment.

According to the survey most of the disabilities result from consanguineous marriages (marriage between cousins).

The results were announced during a press conference with Dr. Abdul Rahman Jajar president of King Abdullah Specialist Ear Center and chairman of the Saudi ENT Society Dr. Abdul Munim Al-Asheikh chairman of the board of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS) and director of Cochlear Implant Program at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah and Tamer Al-Shahat regional director for MedEl in Saudi Arabia.

The first regional survey highlighted problems related to hearing loss and detailed comprehensive scientific results about hearing disabilities in the Kingdom and the Middle East.

Dr. Abdul Rahman said that the results of the survey stress the importance of increasing education in the community about problems related to hearing and reasons for hearing loss in the Kingdom in particular and the Middle East in general.

Because many hearing impairments are the result of consanguineous marriages more stress needs to be placed on educating young parents about this problem so that they are aware of the possibilities of hearing loss in their children.

Patients usually begin looking for a solution three years after the problem is first noticed which means an increase in problems of social integration.

Dr. Abdul Rahman said that World Health Organization (WHO) data estimates the number of individuals suffering from hearing problems in the Middle East at 3 percent. However experts in the region say the percentage is much higher.

Dr. Abdul Munim said the study led to the imposition of a compulsory hearing test on newborns in all countries of the region.

''We started to apply these test four months ago on all newborn babies in the Kingdom'' he said. ''Parents of a sick child start looking for a cure after the first three years of the child''s life when the problem becomes obvious and starts affecting his life; but dealing with the problem becomes much more difficult then'' he said.

Tamer Al-Shahat said: ''We are proud of this report and by looking at the results we can identify the nature of the problem and understand this disability which has been widely overlooked.