Referral rates for newborn hearing screening based on the test time
You Sun Chung1, Seung-Ha Oh2, Su-Kyoung Park3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Optimal timing for newborn hearing screening is crucial for stable referral rates. For well babies, screening between 2-20 days is recommended, while NICU babies benefit from screening between 5-31 days.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Audiology
- Public health
Background:
- Newborn hearing screening (NHS) is vital for early detection of hearing loss.
- Referral rates can fluctuate based on screening timing, impacting program efficiency.
- Establishing optimal screening windows is essential for both well babies and those in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the ideal timing for NHS to achieve stable referral rates.
- To compare referral rates between well babies and NICU babies based on screening age.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of nationwide hearing screening data from 71,596 low-income newborns in 2017.
- Comparison of referral rates based on screening period (birth to screening) for well babies and NICU babies (categorized by length of stay).
Main Results:
- In well babies, 73.1% were screened within the first three days.
- Most NICU babies (74%) were screened within 20 days.
- Referral rates varied significantly with screening age, particularly for screenings >60 days, though hearing loss incidence did not differ by age.
Conclusions:
- Screening timing significantly impacts referral rates for well babies and NICU babies.
- Recommended screening window: 2-20 days for well babies.
- Recommended screening window: 5-31 days for NICU babies to ensure stable referral rates.
Objectives:
To suggest the optimal timing for newborn hearing screening to obtain an ideal and stable referral rate in well babies and in babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICU).
Methods:
This study analyzed nationwide hearing screening data of 71,596 newborns in the low-income families who received support from the government in 2017. The referral rate for neonatal hearing screening, based on the period from birth to screening, was compared in well babies (n = 68,206) who were born healthy or hospitalized in the NICU for < 5 days and moved to a well-baby nursery and babies (n = 3,390) who were in the NICU for ≥ 5 days.
Results:
In well babies, most screenings (73.1%) were performed in the first three days of life. Most babies (74%) in the NICU underwent screening within the first 20 days after birth. The referral rates for babies at 32-60 days after birth differed from those of other screening days, except for the rates at 21-31 days after birth. Referral rates for NHS at > 60 days after birth were significantly higher than those for other periods in babies overall. However, the incidence of hearing loss according to age did not differ significantly within or between groups.
Conclusions:
Referral rates based on the period from birth to screening were significantly different between well babies and NICU babies. To reduce and ensure stable referral rates, we recommend that the hearing screening be performed between 2 and 20 days after birth for well babies and between 5 and 31 days after birth for NICU babies.
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