Neonatal hearing screening - the Indian experience

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Audiology
• Public health

Background:

• Neonatal hearing loss is a significant concern, affecting approximately 1-3 per 1000 live births.
• Early identification and intervention are critical for optimal language and cognitive development in infants.
• Establishing effective neonatal hearing screening programs is essential for reducing the long-term impact of hearing impairment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a neonatal hearing screening program in Pune, India.
• To determine the prevalence of significant hearing loss in screened neonates.
• To assess the utility of otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) in a real-world screening setting.

Main Methods:

• A total of 2621 neonates were screened using otoacoustic emissions (OAE).
• Infants who failed the second OAE test were referred for further evaluation.
• Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) was used to confirm hearing loss in referred infants.

Main Results:

• 249 babies were referred on the second OAE testing.
• Only 52 of the referred infants returned for further evaluation.
• Fifteen (28.8%) of the 52 evaluated infants were diagnosed with significant hearing loss.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights a substantial prevalence of hearing loss among infants who underwent screening.
• A significant number of referred infants did not return for follow-up, indicating a need to improve patient compliance.
• The findings underscore the importance of robust neonatal hearing screening programs and timely audiological assessment.