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[Universal hearing screening of newborn infants with the BERA-phone]
W E Shehata-Dieler1, R Dieler, R Keim
1Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenkranke, Würzburg. hnok038@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
Insights
Early infant hearing loss can cause developmental issues. A two-stage auditory brainstem response (ABR) screening effectively identifies hearing loss in newborns, enabling timely intervention.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neonatal care
- Developmental pediatrics
Context:
- Early infant hearing loss can lead to significant speech-language, cognitive, and psychosocial deficits.
- Existing targeted screening programs may miss up to 50% of affected infants.
- Universal screening is crucial for early detection and intervention.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a two-stage universal hearing screening protocol using the CRESCENDO Newborn Hearing Screener and a clinical auditory brainstem response (ABR) system.
- To assess the performance of ABR threshold detection with a time course step stimulus algorithm for newborn hearing screening.
Summary:
- A universal hearing screening program examined 1349 newborns using a two-stage protocol with the CRESCENDO Newborn Hearing Screener and a clinical ABR system.
- Five newborns identified with hearing impairment received therapy before six months of age.
- The ABR method demonstrated high specificity (98.8%), was quick to administer, and easy to apply.
Impact:
- Auditory brainstem response (ABR) screening offers advantages over evoked otoacoustic emission testing for newborn hearing assessment.
- ABR threshold detection with the time course step stimulus algorithm is a recommended, efficient, and highly specific method for newborn hearing screening.
- Early identification and intervention through effective screening programs can mitigate the long-term consequences of infant hearing loss.
Background:
Unidentified and untreated early infant hearing loss leads to speech-language deficits as well as to cognitive, intellectual, emotional and psychosocial handicaps. Targeted hearing screening programs may miss approximately 50% of all hearing impaired children.
Methods:
In an universal hearing screening program with a two stage protocol, 1349 newborns were examined using the CRESCENDO Newborn Hearing Screener according to Finkenzeller and a clinical ABR system operating with a time course step stimulus algorithm.
Results:
Five newborns that failed the two stage screening protocol were diagnosed as hearing impaired so that therapy was initiated before the age of six months. The specificity of the method was 98.8%. The CRESCENDO method only required a short examination time and was easy to apply.
Conclusions:
Hearing screening programs using ABR offer advantages when compared to evoked otoacoustic emission testing. ABR threshold detection with the time course step stimulus algorithm is a quick and easy to apply method with high specificity that can be recommended for newborn hearing screening.