RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To analyse perinatal adverse conditions related with birth weight in 160 children with hearing impairment-deafness (prelingual sensorineural hearing loss) according to medical data of a specialized medical unit in Mexico City. RESULTS: The average age of children was 4 years old +/- 1.7; 61% were male. 47.5% of the cases had a birthweight between 1,500 and 2,900 g. 90 cases (56%) had an abnormal delivery and 68 (42.5%) were first pregnancy cases. A high number of cases had delayed breathing, cyanosis, jaundice or respiratory failure. 104 cases (65%) had deafness and 56 (35%) presented. hearing loss. Only 11% of the children had a birth-weight under 1,500 g. 58% of all cases had a birth weight lower than 3,000 g. CONCLUSION: The quality of medical assistance provided during the perinatal period has a very important role in origin of hearing impairment--deafness in this group of children. It is important to increase our knowledge about the perinatal adverse conditions in order to establish preventive programs.