Qualitative aspects of the process of Neonatal Hearing Screening Program in Mexico evaluated from the parental...

The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Mexico began in 2010. Its results, published in 2013 by the National Council for the Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (CONADIS), report low coverage and, currently, there is a dearth of information about its activities. This study describes the process of the program from the epistemological perspective of women whose children participated in the program, evaluating it under the sustenance of the constructivist-respondent model in search of aspects that could help explain its results.

Descriptive study with a qualitative approach based on the constructivist–respondent paradigm. We elected the 14 women who participated in the study through trial and number until theoretical saturation. After signing an informed consent form and respecting the confidentiality and anonymity, these women underwent semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed as were conducted. The researchers separately analyzed and coded categories and conjointly summarized categories and subcategories. Validity and reliability were obtained through the credibility, transferability and triangulation.

From the speeches, we obtained the general profile of the interviewed, evolution of their children in the program process and four categories with 15 subcategories related to the reconstruction of the process: knowledge, needs, feelings and attitudes. One was evaluated as favorable, six without agreement and eight as unfavorable. The latter refer to our own context.

The epistemological perspective of the interviewed women showed aspects that could help explain the low coverage of the program. Attention from public policies could improve this feature. With the establishment of the program, children with deafness are diagnosed and treated at a lower age than before the program.