Microtia Atresia Australia is running three conferences nationwide this year to help families make informed decisions for their school-aged children with microtia and atresia.
The conferences are also suitable for health professionals including audiologists and speech pathologists, and audiologists can claim CPD points.
The Melbourne conference will be on 15 June, a Brisbane conference on 19 October and an online event in November.
Ms Simone Cheadle, founder of Microtia Atresia Australia, said the one-day conferences would focus on school-aged children with microtia and atresia. Presentations will cover hearing loss in the classroom, bullying at school, Department of Education support, and advocacy at school and assistive technology for the classroom with Ms Yvonne Ho, Hearing Australia audiologist, discussing optimising classroom listening.
There will also be child and parent speakers.
Management options will also be covered for children with microtia and atresia. Sydney plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Joe Dusseldorp will discuss ear reconstruction options including custom 3D implants, a Cochlear representative will be there to explain Cochlear bone conduction hearing solutions and audiologist Dr Cissy Chen from Oticon Medical will discuss the Ponto system journey from softband to surgery.
Microtia is characterised by an incomplete or underdeveloped ear while aural atresia is the absence or closure of the ear canal with associated hearing loss. They are different conditions, each with their own implications but in most cases they occur simultaneously.
Cheadle said microtia and atresia occurred in one in 6,000 to 12,000 births. Microtia and atresia was unilateral in 90% of cases, the right ear was more commonly affected and it was slightly more common in males. It usually presented as an isolated condition and in about one-third of cases, hemifacial microsomia (asymmetry of the face) was also present.
Atresia results in a conductive hearing loss because the sound can’t travel normally to the inner ear. This is caused by the lack of ear canal or middle ear formation and some children also have misshaped ossicles.
Some present with mixed hearing loss not directly related to atresia but due to sensorineural loss in addition to their conductive loss. Degree of hearing loss varies but generally sits around 60dB in children with atresia.
“Newborns with microtia and atresia are referred to an audiologist and offered a bone conduction hearing aid to give them the best access to sound,” Cheadle added. “Parents need to learn about hearing loss and understand their child’s specific hearing loss. The child’s audiologist is a great source of information and can assist parents with questions.”
There will be a family picnic lunch on 16 June, providing an opportunity for children with microtia and atresia and their families to meet, connect and support each other.
Register for the Melbourne Microtia and Atresia Conference on 15 June in Docklands.
Audiologists can claim CPD points through the non-endorsed activity pathway by submitting a reflective statement and activity log. For more information see www.microtiaatresia.com.au
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