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Updated: May 15, 2026
Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
Prelingual sensorineural hearing loss and infants at risk: Western Sicily report
Francesco Martines1, Enrico Martines, Marianna Mucia
1Università degli Studi di Palermo, Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, BioNeC, Sezione di Otorinolaringoiatria, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy. francesco.martines@unipa.it
Insights
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) affects 10.03% of at-risk newborns. Family history and TORCH infections are key risk factors, with NICU infants facing higher SNHL risks due to multiple interacting factors.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal audiology
- Pediatric otolaryngology
- Genetics of hearing loss
Background:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a significant concern in at-risk newborns.
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infants often present with multiple risk factors for SNHL.
- Understanding independent etiologic factors and their interactions is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify independent risk factors for SNHL in high-risk newborns.
- To investigate the role of interacting risk factors, particularly in NICU populations.
- To determine the prevalence and impact of specific risk factors on hearing outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 508 at-risk infants (4-20 weeks old) based on JCIH 2007 criteria.
- Conducted audiological assessments including TEOAE, tympanometry, and ABR.
- Employed univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to study risk factor prevalence and effects.
Main Results:
- SNHL diagnosed in 10.03% of infants (45 bilateral, 6 monolateral).
- Independent significant risk factors identified: family history of hearing impairment and TORCH infections.
- NICU infants showed high SNHL rates; hyperbilirubinemia and prematurity with respiratory distress increased risk significantly.
Conclusions:
- High SNHL prevalence (10.03%) highlights susceptibility in at-risk infants.
- NICU newborns have a 33% increased risk of SNHL due to multiple interacting factors.
- SNHL prevalence escalates with the number of coexisting risk factors (r(2)=0.93).
Objective:
To evaluate independent etiologic factor associated with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in newborn at risk; to study the role of their interaction especially in NICU infants who present often multiple risk factors for SNHL.
Methods:
The main risk factors for SNHL reported by JCIH 2007 were evaluated on 508 infant at risk ranging from 4 to 20 weeks of life, transferred to the Audiology Department of Palermo from the main births centers of Western Sicily. After a global audiological assessment, performed with TEOAE, tympanometry and ABR, the prevalence and the effect of risk factors was statistically studied through univariate and multivariate analysis on the total population (normal and deaf subjects).
Results:
Fifty-one infants (10.03%) were diagnosed with SNHL (45 bilateral and 6 monolateral) with a mean hearing threshold of 87.39 ± 28.25 dB HL; from logistic regression analysis family history of hearing impairment (HI) and TORCH infections resulted independent significant risk factors (P<0.00001 and P=0.024 respectively). High SNHL percentages were evidenced also in NICU babies, due to the various pathologies and risk factors presented by these infants, and among newborns who suffered from hyperbilirubinemia requiring exchange transfusion (11.97% and 9.52% respectively). Craniofacial abnormalities (CFA) and syndromes associated to HI showed an important relationship (P<0.00001) with conductive hearing loss (CHL). Multiple regression analysis of the variation in SNHL among NICU infants evidenced an increased risk for SNHL of 21.24% and of 19.33% respectively in preterm infants and in case of hyperbilirubinemia if respiratory distress is concomitant with these risk factors. It was also observed an higher risk of SNHL (99.66%) in case of coexistence of prematurity and hyperbilirubinemia. Finally among infants with very low birth weight (VLBW) it was evidenced a statistically difference between the mean weight of SNHL infants respect to NHL newborns (P=0.048).
Conclusion:
The high SNHL prevalence (10.03%) in our cohort underlines how infants at risk are more susceptible to suffer from SNHL; in particular NICU newborns have a 33% greater chance of developing SNHL, because of the presence of multiple risk factors (or=1.33) and their interaction. As the number of coexisting risk factors increases, the prevalence of SNHL also increases (r(2)=0.93).
