Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, New York: Findings from a study of Danish children suggest that hearing loss greatly increases the risk of meningitis. Therefore, parents of children with hearing loss should familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

Researchers conducted a review of all children born inDenmark between 1995 and 2004. Out of 663,963 children, the researchers identified 39 who had both hearing loss and meningitis, including five cases in which the hearing loss preceded the meningitis.

Children with hearing loss were five times more likely to develop meningitis than those without hearing loss, lead author Dr. Erik T. Parner, from the University of Aarhus in Denmark and colleagues note.

"This is the first study to report on the risk of meningitis in children with hearing loss... and warrants further investigation in other populations and databases," the researchers conclude.

"If children with hearing loss have a higher risk of meningitis, then parents and healthcare providers should be made aware of the need to be alert for possible signs and symptoms of meningitis and vaccination should be considered.

"An increased risk of meningitis has been reported in  children with cochlear implants, the authors note, but until now the "baseline" rate of meningitis among children with hearing loss had not been established.

Meningitis is a relatively rare but potentially deadly disease that produces swelling of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can cause seizures, brain damage, memory loss, deafness, and even death in otherwise healthy children and adults.