Sudden hearing loss and pregnancy: a review

Acute hearing loss is a distressing albeit rare occurrence in pregnancy. Due to its infrequent presentation, little is known of its cause, and the best management is unclear.

To present a summary of current knowledge regarding sudden hearing loss in pregnancy and its management, by reviewing the published literature.

The following electronic databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), Ovid (MEDLINE), all EBM Reviews (Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE and CCTR) and Embase; plus a hand search of reference lists of retrieved papers.

All papers retrieved using key word searches for 'sudden hearing loss and pregnancy' and 'sudden deafness and pregnancy' were reviewed. Due to the scarcity of literature, all studies identified were included in this review.

All retrieved papers were reviewed. Sudden hearing loss is a rare occurrence during pregnancy, leading to a dearth of literature due to limited clinical experience. Audiological investigation findings for such patients remain equivocal. Recovery can be spontaneous during the postpartum period. In patients who require medical treatment, a dextran 40 infusion can be employed. There remains scope for further research, in the form of larger studies, to ascertain the best management option for this clinical problem.