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Screening for neonatal hearing loss in the Eastern region of United Arab Emirates
M Ur Rehman1, K Mando, A Rahmani
1Department of Paediatrics, Tawam Hospital in Association with Johns Hopkins Medicine, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Insights
Sensorineural hearing loss is more common in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. Universal infant hearing screening is recommended, as it identifies more cases than selective screening of high-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SНL) affects infants, with higher incidence in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) populations.
- Early detection and intervention are crucial for optimal developmental outcomes in infants with hearing deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of hearing loss in healthy newborns and NICU infants.
- To compare hearing loss rates between healthy and NICU infants.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of selective versus universal infant hearing screening.
Main Methods:
- Prospective screening of eligible infants before hospital discharge.
- Hearing deficit diagnosis using established audiological protocols.
- Statistical analysis including relative risk (RR) and confidence intervals (CI).
Main Results:
- Hearing deficit diagnosed in 0.18% of healthy newborns and 1.7% of NICU infants.
- Hearing impairment was significantly more common in NICU infants (RR = 9.4).
- Healthy newborns constituted the majority (25/39) of all diagnosed hearing loss cases.
Conclusions:
- Congenital hearing deficit rates are comparable to international data.
- Universal infant hearing screening is essential for early detection.
- Selective screening of high-risk infants misses a significant proportion of newborns with hearing loss.
Abstract:
The incidence of sensorineural hearing loss among infants in the neonatal intensive unit (NICU) is higher than in normal infants. This study determined the rate of hearing loss in healthy newborns and in NICU patients before hospital discharge at a single institution in the Eastern region of the United Arab Emirates; 96.5% of all eligible infants were screened. Hearing deficit was diagnosed in 25/13 854 healthy newborns (0.18%; 95% CI: 0.12%-0.27%) and 14/826 infants in the NICU (1.7%; 95% CI: 0.9%-2.8%). Although hearing impairment was significantly more common in those admitted to the NICU (RR = 9.4; 95% CI: 4.9-17.9), healthy newborns accounted for 25 of the 39 cases with hearing loss. The rate of congenital hearing deficit was comparable to international data. Universal screening is recommended since selective screening of high-risk infants missed two-thirds of newborns with hearing loss.
