Neonatal Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP): At A Rural Based Tertiary Care Centre

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Audiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Hearing impairment is the most common curable childhood handicap, impacting speech, language, and overall development.
• Universal neonatal hearing screening programs are established in developed nations but are nascent in India.
• Previous studies indicate a 1-6 per 1000 incidence of hearing impairment in Indian newborns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of moderate to severe permanent hearing loss in neonates at a rural tertiary care hospital in Gujarat.
• To assess the feasibility of hospital-based universal newborn hearing screening in a rural Indian setting.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year non-randomized observational study involving 2534 neonates.
• A two-stage hearing screening protocol using Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) and Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA) for confirmation.
• Screening was conducted before hospital discharge.

Main Results:

• A 2.05% initial referral rate (52 neonates) from the DPOAE test.
• A final incidence of 7 neonates (2 per 1000) detected with hearing impairment.
• 10% of neonates had high-risk factors for hearing loss, with 1.8% diagnosed within this group.
• An overall follow-up rate of 72.7% was achieved.

Conclusions:

• Hospital-based universal newborn hearing screening is feasible in rural tertiary care centers in India.
• Non-specialist staff can effectively implement a two-stage hearing screening protocol.
• Enhanced tracking and follow-up systems are essential to improve diagnostic rates for hearing impairment.