Perceptions of parents of children with hearing loss of genetic origin in South Africa

AbstractMore than 80% of people with hearing loss (HL) live in low- and middle-income countries. Up to 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents, leading to novel parenting, communication, educational, and psychosocial experiences. Half of congenital pre-lingual HL is genetic, with a relatively high recurrence risk that may lead to specific challenges for parents of affected children. Currently, little is known of genes implicated and causative mutations for most populations who have HL in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as genetic counseling services needs for this population. Therefore, this study aimed to explore parents ' perceptions and understanding of the genetic etiology of their child's HL, in order to inform policies and services. In-depth qualitative interviews were condu...

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