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Infant hearing screening 1984 to 1989: the Henry Ford Hospital experience
G P Jacobson1, M J Burtka, J A Wharton
1Division of Audiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202.
Insights
The Infant Hearing Screening program identified 1.4% of infants at risk for hearing loss. Low birthweight infants were more likely to fail screening, highlighting the need for early detection in high-risk newborns.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neonatal care
- Public health
Background:
- The Infant Hearing Screening (IHS) program aimed to identify infants at risk for hearing loss.
- From 1984 to 1989, 1,300 infants were identified as
- at risk
- for hearing loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the Infant Hearing Screening (IHS) program.
- To determine the prevalence of significant sensorineural hearing loss in at-risk infants.
- To assess risk factors and screening outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the IHS program (1984-1989) at Henry Ford Hospital.
- Comparison of screening results with conventional audiometry and brainstem auditory-evoked potentials.
- Evaluation of factors such as birthweight and screening location.
Main Results:
- A prevalence of 1.4% for significant sensorineural hearing loss was found in the at-risk sample.
- Infants with low birthweight (less than 1,500 g) were three times more likely to fail IHS.
- Behavioral observation audiometry demonstrated 43% sensitivity and 92% specificity compared to brainstem auditory-evoked potentials.
Conclusions:
- The IHS program effectively identified infants with hearing loss, with a low false-negative rate.
- Low birthweight is a significant risk factor for hearing impairment in infants.
- Screening protocols and follow-up procedures are crucial for early detection and intervention.
Abstract:
From 1984 to 1989 the Infant Hearing Screening (IHS) program at Henry Ford Hospital identified 1,300 infants as being "at risk" for hearing loss. The prevalence of significant sensorineural hearing loss in this sample was 1.4%. Additionally, 80 infants who passed the IHS program and reached 3 years of age were found to have normal hearing sensitivity by conventional audiometric techniques (ie, no false-negative predictions). There were three false-positive predictions. It was discovered that infants of low birthweight (ie, less than 1,500 g) were three times more likely to fail IHS than those whose weight exceeded 1,500 g. A higher return rate was found for infants failing an initial hearing screening conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit in comparison to those screened as outpatients one week postdischarge. The sensitivity and specificity of behavioral observation audiometry were 43% and 92%, respectively, when brainstem auditory-evoked potentials was used as the criterion validity measure.