Referral rates for newborn hearing screening based on the test time

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.