1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.3879 1 2 Common causes of hearing impairment among children less than 8 3 years of age in District Bahawalpur, Punjab Pakistan 4 5 Safdar Ali 1 , Muhammad Sikander Ghayas Khan 2 , Laiba Zahid 3 6 1 Department of Audiology, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan; 2,3 Department of 7 Health Professional Technologies, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan 8 Correspondence: Laiba Zahid. Email: laibasheikh780@gmail.com 9 10 Abstract 11 Objective: To find out the common causes of hearing loss among young children, and 12 to compare the causes along gender lines. 13 Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2020 to March 14 2021 at two government hospitals and one private clinic in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, and 15 comprised children of either gender aged <8 years with complaint of decreased 16 hearing. They were examined and tested for hearing impairment. Data was analysed 17 using SPSS 22. 18 Results: Of the 328 subjects, 164(50%) each were girls and boys. The overall mean 19 age was 4.20±2.08 years. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 178(54.3%), cases, 20 conductive in 118(36%) and mixed type in 32(9.8%). Otitis media with effusion 21 89(27.1%) was the commonest cause of hearing impairment, followed by 22 consanguinity 73(22.3%). There was no significant difference between the male and 23 female children (p>0.05). 24 Conclusion: Otitis media with effusion was the commonest cause of hearing 25 impairment, followed by consanguinity. Gender had no significant role to play in this 26 regard. 27 Provisionally Accepted for Publication