Efficient otoacoustic emission protocols employed in a hospital-based neonatal screening program.

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Neonatal Care
• Otoacoustic Emissions

Background:

• Newborn hearing screening is crucial for early detection of hearing loss.
• Transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) are a standard screening method.
• Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) offer an alternative protocol for hearing assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical performance of a DPOAE protocol for newborn hearing screening.
• To compare the efficacy of DPOAE with a standard TEOAE protocol in a large cohort.
• To assess the potential of DPOAE in a hospital-based neonatal hearing screening program.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 250 healthy newborns was screened on the second day of life.
• Transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) were recorded using click stimuli (70-75 dB SPL).
• Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) were measured using an asymmetrical protocol (75-65 dB SPL) at five frequencies (1.5–5.0 kHz).

Main Results:

• The DPOAE protocol achieved a high pass rate, showing 0.98 similarity to the TEOAE protocol.
• Both TEOAE and DPOAE methods indicated normal cochlear function in the screened neonates.
• The results suggest DPOAE is a viable option for neonatal hearing screening.

Conclusions:

• The DPOAE protocol shows significant clinical potential as a reliable method for newborn hearing screening.
• A DPOAE evaluation at five pre-selected frequencies yields results comparable to TEOAE.
• This study supports the integration of DPOAE into routine neonatal hearing screening programs.