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Hyperbilirubinemia impact on newborn hearing: a literature review
Marcela Hammes Teixeira1, Viviann Magalhães Silva Borges1, Rudimar Dos Santos Riesgo2
1Departamento de Saúde e Comunicação Humana, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
Insights
High bilirubin levels in newborns can harm hearing. This review found a positive link between newborn hyperbilirubinemia and hearing disorders, highlighting the need for audiological follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Audiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Elevated bilirubin levels (hyperbilirubinemia) in newborns pose a risk to auditory system development.
- This condition can lead to sensorineural hearing loss, impacting infant development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of hyperbilirubinemia on newborn hearing.
- To correlate audiological findings with serum bilirubin levels in infants.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review was conducted in October 2017.
- Searched databases (CAPES, MEDLINE, BIREME) using keywords: hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice, infant, newborn, hearing loss.
- Seven relevant studies, all utilizing brainstem auditory evoked potential, were selected from 827 initial articles.
Main Results:
- All reviewed studies reported audiological changes in neonates with hyperbilirubinemia.
- A positive correlation was observed between elevated serum bilirubin levels and hearing disorders.
- No definitive consensus was reached on specific bilirubin thresholds causing auditory changes.
Conclusions:
- Hyperbilirubinemia is consistently associated with auditory system impairments in newborns.
- Establishing critical bilirubin levels for hearing disorder risk and implementing audiological surveillance for affected neonates is crucial.
Abstract:
The increase in bilirubin levels in newborns can cause toxic effects on the auditory system, which can lead to hearing loss. This review aimed to verify the impact of hyperbilirubinemia in the hearing of newborns, relating audiological findings to serum levels of bilirubin. A literature review was conducted during October 2017, using the terms "hyperbilirubinemia", "jaundice", "infant", "newborn" and "hearing loss", on databases CAPES journals, MEDLINE and BIREME (SciELO, BBO). 827 studies were identified and 59 were selected for full-text reading, resulting in the selection of seven articles that met the inclusion criteria and were considered relevant to the sample of this study. All the reviewed studies performed brainstem auditory evoked potential as the main test for audiological evaluation. Changes in the audiological findings of neonates with hyperbilirubinemia were observed in all studies. There was no consensus on the serum bilirubin levels that may cause auditory changes; however, the relationship between hearing disorders and blood levels of bilirubin was positive. We identify the need to establish reference values for bilirubin levels considered critical for the occurrence of hearing disorders as well as the audiological follow-up of neonates with hyperbilirubinemia.
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