Newborn Hearing Screening in a Public Maternity Ward in Curitiba, Brazil: Determining Factors for Not Retesting
Idalina Luz1, Angela Ribas2, Lorena Kozlowski2
1Phonoaudiology, Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
Insights
Many mothers forget or do not understand the importance of newborn hearing screening retests, leading to non-compliance. This highlights a gap in awareness and follow-up for infant hearing health.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Law 12.303/10 mandates newborn hearing screening before hospital discharge.
- Failure or risk factors necessitate retesting and monitoring within the first year.
- Current practice shows significant non-compliance with recommended auditory retests.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the reasons for non-compliance with auditory retests in mothers of high-risk infants.
- To investigate knowledge gaps and recall issues related to newborn hearing screening follow-up.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional quantitative study involving 60 mothers of infants at risk for hearing loss.
- Data collected via semi-structured questionnaires on demographics, knowledge, and reasons for non-compliance.
- Statistical analysis using the Chi-square test (p < 0.05).
Main Results:
- 63% of mothers were unaware of the hearing screening; many lacked prenatal guidance.
- Forgetting the retest appointment was cited by 30% of participants.
- No significant correlation found between maternal age, education, or marital status and compliance.
Conclusions:
- Maternal forgetfulness and lack of understanding regarding the importance of retesting are key barriers.
- Improved communication and education during prenatal care are crucial for enhancing screening compliance.
- Addressing these factors is vital for effective early detection of infant hearing loss.
Abstract:
Introduction Law 12.303/10 requires hearing screening in newborns before hospital discharge to detect possible hearing problems within the first three months after birth. If the newborn fails the test or presents signs of risk for hearing loss, it must undergo a retest and monitoring during the first year of life. In practice, this often does not happen. Objective To identify, in a group of mothers of children with risk factors for hearing loss, the determining reasons for non-compliance with the auditory retest. Method This is a cross-sectional quantitative study. For data collection, we handed a semi-structured questionnaire to 60 mothers of babies at risk for hearing loss who did not attend the hearing retest after hospital discharge. The questionnaire investigated their age, education, marital status, level of knowledge about the hearing screening, and reasons for non-compliance with the retest. We compared and analyzed data using the Chi-square test at a significance level of 0.05%. Results Our study found that 63% of the respondents were unaware of the hearing screening and most did not receive guidance on testing during prenatal care; 30% of participants stated forgetting as the reason for not attending the retest. There was no significant relationship between age, education, and marital status regarding knowledge about the test and the non-compliance with the retest. Conclusion Identified as the most significant determining factors for non-compliance with the newborn hearing screening retest were the surveyed mothers' forgetting the date, and their ignorance as to the importance of retesting.
