Characterization of newborn hearing screening failures in multigestational births

To define the rate and characterize the type of newborn hearing screening failures in multigestational births.

Retrospective chart review of all multigestational births that occurred in a 10-year period (2002-2012) in which at least one newborn failed newborn hearing screening at two tertiary care hospitals in the Northwell Health System.

Out of 125,405 total births, we identified 2961 multigestational births, of which 59 (2.0%) newborns failed newborn hearing screening. None of their 66 twin/triplet siblings failed their newborn hearing screens. Of 43 newborns that returned for follow-up, 56.0% (24/43) had confirmed hearing loss, resulting in an overall rate of 0.81% in all multigestational newborns with hearing loss. Of 19 infants that passed repeat testing, two were judged to need myringotomy tube placement. Twenty-four infants had a confirmed hearing loss, 11 of which had sensorineural hearing loss (0.37%), and 13 with a conductive or mixed hearing loss (0.44%).

We identified a greater than expected risk of conductive hearing loss, not attributable to otitis media, than sensorineural hearing loss in this population. These observations are consistent with the increased risk of birth defects in multigestational births.