Birth weight and hearing impairment in norwegians born from 1967 to 1993

To estimate the association between birth weight and hearing impairment among Norwegians born between 1967 and 1993, taking other pregnancy-related conditions into consideration.

A cohort study was conducted of all Norwegian live births from 1967 to 1993 (n = 1 548 429) linking information of the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and the register for the National Insurance Administration, which covers all Norwegians. The Medical Birth Registry of Norway has recorded information on birth weight and other pregnancy-related conditions as well as diseases of the mother before and during pregnancy. The register of the National Insurance Administration contains information on all Norwegians who have received cash benefits for a disease/disability, including hearing impairment. Data up to 1997 are included; thus, the follow-up period varies between 29 and 3 years.

The occurrence of hearing impairment was 11 per 10 000, decreasing from 60 per 10 000 for birth weights <1500 g to 6 per 10 000 for birth weights >4499 g. Compared with birth weights between 3000 g and 3499 g, the adjusted rate ratio of hearing impairment was 7.55 (95% confidence interval: 4.81-11.87) for birth weights <1500 g and 0.50 (95% confidence interval: 0.34-0.73) for birth weights >4499 g. The association did not change substantially with adjustment for other pregnancy-related conditions. Restricting the analyses to term born, the association between hearing impairment and low birth weight became stronger.

Birth weight was a strong predictor of hearing impairment in the Norwegian population. Children who were born at term with a low birth weight seemed to be a particularly vulnerable group.