According to a new study published in the March 2007 edition of 'Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery', children who suffer severe hearing loss are five times more likely to contract meninigitis than other children.

The study, conducted over a nine year period, monitored 663,963 children born in Denmark between 1995 and 2004. It identified 39 children with both hearing loss and meningitis; of these children, five were first diagnosed with hearing loss, and later with meningitis.

The study's authors say their research provides evidence of an association between hearing loss and the onset of meningitis, providing physicians and parents with ample reason to be mindful of the possible signs and symptoms of meningitis, and allowing for vaccination to be considered as a preventative step.