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Identifying congenital hearing impairment. Personal experience based on selective hearing screening
1Department of Medical-Surgical Specialization, Otolaryngology and Cervico-Facial Surgery Division, University of Perugia, Italy.
Summary
Early detection of congenital hearing impairment is crucial for infant development. This study found that while high-risk infants had slightly delayed diagnoses, a significant portion of diagnosed infants had no risk factors, highlighting the need for improved screening methods.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Congenital hearing impairment (hypoacusis) is the most common congenital disease.
- Early detection is vital for language and cognitive development through interventions like hearing aids and rehabilitation.
- Current screening methods include selective screening for high-risk infants and in-hospital screening for newborns without risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review the timing of hypoacusis diagnosis at an audiology laboratory.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of selective and in-hospital hearing screening methods for infants.
- To identify challenges and propose improvements for congenital hearing loss screening.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of approximately 10 years of audiology screening data.
- Screening of children with and without congenital risk indicators for hearing loss.
- Comparison of diagnosis timing between high-risk and no-risk groups, and with international guidelines.
Main Results:
- High-risk infants diagnosed with hypoacusis were slightly older than international guidelines suggest.
- Approximately half of identified hypoacusic infants lacked congenital risk indicators, experiencing delayed diagnosis.
- Infants without risk factors diagnosed via in-hospital screening received early detection.
Conclusions:
- Selective screening alone results in delayed diagnosis for a significant proportion of infants with congenital hearing loss.
- In-hospital screening for infants without risk factors enables early detection.
- A combined approach of compulsory selective screening and in-hospital screening for all newborns is recommended to approach universal hearing screening.