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Universal newborn hearing screening in the Lazio region, Italy
Rosaria Turchetta1, Guido Conti2, Pasquale Marsella3
1Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) in Lazio achieved 93.3% coverage in 2016, identifying 70 cases of hearing loss. Program weaknesses include data reporting issues, despite strong Level I and III facility performance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Audiology
Background:
- Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) programs are crucial for early diagnosis and intervention of childhood hearing loss.
- The UNHS program in the Lazio region commenced universal screening in 2015.
- This study evaluates the preliminary results of the 2016 UNHS program in Lazio.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present and discuss the preliminary results of the 2016 Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program in the Lazio region.
- To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the initial phase of the Lazio UNHS program.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of screening data from Lazio facilities for the year 2016.
- Data collection from Level I, II, and III centers involved in the UNHS program.
- Evaluation of screening coverage, pass/refer rates, and diagnostic outcomes.
Main Results:
- Screening coverage reached 93.3% (41,821 of 44,805 newborns) in 2016.
- A total of 70 children were diagnosed with hearing loss (prevalence of 1.6/1000) after Level III evaluations.
- Incomplete data reporting from Level II facilities was identified as a key issue.
Conclusions:
- The Lazio UNHS program demonstrated strengths in Level I facility spread/monitoring and Level III audiological services.
- A significant weakness was the lack of an efficient, automated central data collection and reporting system.
- Addressing data management weaknesses is essential for optimizing the UNHS program in Lazio.
Background:
The introduction of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) programs has drastically contributed to the early diagnosis of hearing loss in children, allowing prompt intervention with significant results on speech and language development in affected children. UNHS in the Lazio region has been initially deliberated in 2012; however, the program has been performed on a universal basis only from 2015. The aim of this retrospective study is to present and discuss the preliminary results of the UNHS program in the Lazio region for the year 2016, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the program.
Methods:
Data from screening facilities in the Lazio region for year 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Data for Level I centers were supplied by the Lazio regional offices; data for Level II and III centers were provided by units that participated to the study.
Results:
During 2016, a total of 44,805 babies were born in the Lazio region. First stage screening was performed on 41,821 children in 37 different birth centers, with a coverage rate of 93.3%. Of these, 38.977 (93.2%) obtained a "pass" response; children with a "refer" result in at least one ear were 2844 (6.8%). Data from Level II facilities are incomplete due to missing reporting, one of the key issues in Lazio UNHS. Third stage evaluation was performed on 365 children in the three level III centers of the region, allowing identification of 70 children with unilateral (40%) or bilateral (60%) hearing loss, with a prevalence of 1.6/1000.
Conclusions:
The analysis of 2016 UNHS in the Lazio region allowed identification of several strengths and weaknesses of the initial phase of the program. The strengths include a correct spread and monitoring of UNHS among Level I facilities, with an adequate coverage rate, and the proper execution of audiological monitoring and diagnosis among Level III facilities. Weakness, instead, mainly consisted in lack of an efficient and automated central process for collecting, monitoring and reporting of data and information.
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