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Updated: Apr 12, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Newborn hearing screening in neonates exposed to psychoactive drugs
Bruna Salazar Castro da Rocha1, Márcia Salgado Machado2, Cláudia Fernandes Costa Zanini3
1Department of Phonoaudiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Insights
Psychoactive drug exposure during pregnancy did not impact newborn hearing screening failure rates in this study. However, exposed infants showed a higher incidence of hearing loss risk factors, suggesting potential sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Perinatology
- Neuroscience
- Audiology
Background:
- Maternal psychoactive drug use during pregnancy poses risks to fetal development, including potential auditory system impacts.
- Understanding the effects of prenatal drug exposure on infant hearing is crucial for early intervention and long-term outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate newborn hearing screening (NHS) outcomes in infants exposed to psychoactive drugs in utero.
- To determine the prevalence of hearing loss risk factors and diagnosed hearing loss in this exposed population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study analyzing a database of maternal drug use and neonatal outcomes.
- Comparison of NHS failure rates, risk factor presence, and audiological diagnoses between 146 drug-exposed neonates and 500 non-exposed controls.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant difference in NHS failure rates between exposed and control groups (p=0.267).
- Significantly higher occurrence of hearing loss risk factors in the drug-exposed group (p<0.0001).
- One case of hearing loss diagnosed in the control group; none in the exposed group (p=0.667).
Conclusions:
- Prenatal exposure to psychoactive drugs did not directly correlate with increased NHS failure in this cohort.
- The heightened presence of risk factors in exposed infants indicates a potential vulnerability of the auditory system to such exposures.
- Further research is warranted to explore the long-term auditory health of infants exposed to psychoactive substances during gestation.
Abstract:
Introduction In pregnancy, the mother and fetus share body structures based on the maternal organism. Exposure to psychoactive drugs in this period may have repercussions on the baby's hearing. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate this association. Aim Analyze the results of newborn hearing screening (NHS), the occurrence of associated risk factors, and the incidence of hearing loss in newborn exposed to psychoactive drugs during pregnancy. Methods This is an observational retrospective study done from a database analysis. From this database, records were selected about the use of psychoactive drugs by mothers during pregnancy, then the neonates were divide into two groups: the study group (146 babies exposed to drugs) and the control group (500 babies not exposed to drugs). The NHS failure rate, the presence of risk factors for hearing loss, and need for audiological diagnosis were analyzed in both groups. From these variables, absolute frequency and prevalence rates were calculated and the results compared between groups. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of NHS failure rates between the groups (p = 0.267). The occurrence of risk factors for hearing loss was greater in babies exposed to drugs (p < 0.0001). There was only one diagnosis of hearing loss, which occurred in the control group (p = 0.667). Conclusion The use of psychoactive drugs by mothers during pregnancy did not affect the NHS failure rate of this sample. However, the occurrence of significant risk factors in the study group showed a possible sensitivity of babies exposed to psychoactive drugs during pregnancy.
