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Newborn hearing screening: a regional example for national care
O A Adelola1, V Papanikolaou, P Gormley
1Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Galway University Hospitals, Galway. adelolab@hotmail.com
Insights
Early hearing screening for congenital permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) using a two-stage UNHS program is effective. This approach accurately identifies PCHI in newborns, supporting timely intervention and development.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Congenital Permanent Childhood Hearing Impairment (PCHI) negatively impacts language, cognition, and social integration.
- Early detection through Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) is crucial for mitigating these effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the experience and results of a UNHS program implemented in the West of Ireland since 2000.
- To evaluate the accuracy, feasibility, and effectiveness of a two-stage UNHS protocol.
Main Methods:
- A two-stage screening protocol was used for neonates born between October 2000 and November 2007.
- Stage 1: Transient Evoked Oto-Acoustic Emissions (TEOAEs) for all neonates.
- Stage 2: Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) for non-pass TEOAE and audiological risk neonates.
Main Results:
- Screening coverage reached 98% (25,742/26,281 neonates).
- The prevalence of PCHI was 1.21 per 1000 live births (31 cases identified).
- The two-stage protocol demonstrated high accuracy and feasibility.
Conclusions:
- A hospital-based, two-stage UNHS protocol utilizing TEOAEs and AABR is accurate, feasible, and effective for identifying PCHI.
- This screening program facilitates early detection and intervention for hearing impairment in newborns.
Abstract:
Congenital Permanent Childhood Hearing Impairment (PCHI) is known to have a negative effect on language acquisition, cognitive development and social integration. Since 2000 our department has implemented a UNHS program in the West of Ireland. We describe our experience and detail our results to date. All neonates born from October 2000 to November 2007 were screened using a 2-stage protocol. Transient evoked oto-acoustic emissions (TEOAEs) were used to screen all neonates, followed by automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) in those who did not pass TEOAE, and all neonates at audiological risk. 26,281 babies were born over the eight year period. 25,742 underwent the screening process, achieving a coverage rate of 98%. The prevalence of PCHI in the population tested was 1.21/1000 live births (31/25,731). Our results show that a hospital based 2-stage UNHS protocol using TEOAEs and AABR is accurate, feasible and effective.
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