Keypoints to Successful Newborn Hearing Screening. Thirty Years of Experience and Innovations
Jose Miguel Sequi-Canet1, Juan Brines-Solanes2
1Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Francesc de Borja, 46701 Gandia, Spain.
Insights
Early diagnosis of congenital deafness through neonatal hearing screening is crucial for effective treatment. This review shares 30 years of experience in implementing and optimizing screening protocols to overcome common challenges.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Congenital deafness affects 1.5-3 per 1000 newborns, necessitating early diagnosis for optimal outcomes.
- Cochlear implantation and auditory rehabilitation are key interventions, but require timely identification of hearing loss.
- Neonatal hearing screening is vital for early detection, yet universal implementation faces challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review key aspects of neonatal hearing screening.
- To highlight practical solutions and experiences from a 30-year screening program.
- To provide an updated perspective for establishing new screening units.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of neonatal hearing screening techniques and protocols.
- Analysis of factors influencing screening results, including neonatal and nutritional aspects.
- Sharing practical experience and problem-solving strategies from a long-standing screening program.
Main Results:
- Neonatal hearing screening is a successful practice in developed nations.
- Implementation challenges include multi-professional involvement, short post-birth timelines, and performance optimization.
- Experience has led to refined protocols and solutions for common screening issues.
Conclusions:
- Early diagnosis via neonatal hearing screening is essential for managing congenital deafness.
- Addressing implementation challenges and optimizing protocols are key to successful screening programs.
- Sharing experiences facilitates the establishment and improvement of neonatal hearing screening services worldwide.
Abstract:
Congenital deafness is a major pediatric problem, affecting about 1.5-3 per 1000 newborns. The early treatment through cochlear implantation and auditory rehabilitation has been a historic milestone. Early diagnosis of congenital deafness is an essential requirement to obtain the best results, which is achieved through neonatal screening, a diagnostic practice that we began systematically at the Hospital Clínico in Valencia (Spain) 30 years ago. Neonatal hearing screening is successful in most developed countries. Its implementation has been slow due to the multiple difficulties that its universal application entails since it involves several health professionals and must be carried out, in a short time interval after birth. In addition, it must have a good performance that prevents the overload of other services and that requires experience and continuous adjustments in search of proper protocols. The aim of this review is to shed some light on some key points of neonatal hearing screening, highlighting our experience in the solutions to common problems. We will discuss about techniques, protocols and neonatal or nutritional factors that can influence the screening results. To a summary of our work, an update on the subject is provided with the intention of sharing experiences and facilitating the start-up of the new units.
