Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 16, 2025
Neonatal Murine Cochlear Explant Technique as an In Vitro Screening Tool in Hearing Research
Published on: June 8, 2017
Evaluation of cochlear functions in infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 intrauterine
Turgut Celik1, Agit Simsek2, Cigdem Firat Koca1
1Malatya Training and Research Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Malatya, Turkey.
Insights
Infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in utero show impaired auditory function. This suggests cochlear examinations are vital for newborns born to mothers with COVID-19.
Area of Science:
- Otoacoustic Emissions
- Neonatal Auditory Health
- Infectious Disease Impact
Background:
- COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, presents with diverse symptoms and affects vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and newborns.
- Limited research exists on the impact of maternal COVID-19 on fetal development and infant auditory outcomes.
- Viral infections during pregnancy can lead to congenital or acquired hearing loss in infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the auditory function of infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in utero.
- To assess potential impacts of intrauterine SARS-CoV-2 exposure on the auditory system of newborns.
- To evaluate cochlear function in infants born to mothers diagnosed with COVID-19 during pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study comparing 37 infants with intrauterine SARS-CoV-2 exposure to 36 healthy controls.
- Utilized otoacoustic emission tests: Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAE), Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE), and Contralateral Suppression of OAE (CLS OAE).
- Audiological assessments were performed on all participating infants.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in TEOAE results were observed between exposed infants and controls at 3 kHz and 4 kHz (p < 0.05).
- CLS OAE tests revealed statistically significant differences across all frequencies (p < 0.05) between the groups.
- Auditory efferent system function, indicated by suppression effectiveness, was significantly reduced in infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2, particularly at higher frequencies (2-4 kHz, p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is associated with insufficiency in the medial olivocochlear efferent system in infants.
- Cochlear function assessment is recommended for infants whose mothers experienced COVID-19 during pregnancy.
- Early audiological evaluation may be crucial for monitoring auditory development in infants with prenatal viral exposure.
Purpose:
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) caused an acute respiratory illness named COVID-19 and the disease spread all over the World. Fever, cough, fatigue, gastrointestinal infection symptoms form the main clinical symptoms. Pregnants and newborns form a vulnerable population and urgent measures must be addressed. Studies about the effect of COVID-19 on pregnant women, developing fetuses, and infants are limited. Various viral diseases can cause congenital or acquired, unilateral or bilateral hearing loss.
Methods:
37 infants whose mother was pregnant between March 2020 and December 2020 and were born after the diagnosis of COVID- 19 during pregnancy and 36 healthy infants were included in the study. Transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE), distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and contralateral suppression of OAE (CLS OAE) tests were performed on all infants.
Results:
According to the TEOAE results of patients and controls in the silent a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups at 3 kHz and 4 kHz (p < 0.05). Contralateral suppression of OAE test results of patients and controls a statistically significant difference was found in all frequencies (p< 0.05). Suppression was much more effective at all frequencies in the normal group than patient group. This difference was found to be more significant at higher frequencies (2,3 and 4 kHz) (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Our results suggest an insufficiency in medial olivocochlear efferent system in infants exposed to SARS-CoV-2 intrauterine. Cochlear functions should be examined in infants whose mothers had COVID-19.
