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Newborn hearing screening in Eastern Saudi Arabia: A tertiary hospital experience
1From the Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Newborn hearing screening in Saudi Arabia achieved high coverage but faced a significant lost-to-follow-up rate. Early identification of hearing impairment is crucial for improving outcomes in newborns.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Public Health
- Neonatal Care
Background:
- Newborn hearing screening is vital for early detection of hearing loss.
- Understanding screening performance and hearing loss prevalence in Saudi Arabia is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a newborn hearing screening program.
- To determine the prevalence of permanent sensorineural hearing loss in Saudi Arabia.
- To identify challenges in screening practices.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of live births from September 2018 to June 2022.
- Automated auditory brainstem response for screening and rescreening.
- Assessment of screening coverage, follow-up rates, and referral outcomes.
Main Results:
- 96.5% of 5,986 newborns were screened.
- A 27.5% lost-to-follow-up rate was observed.
- The prevalence of hearing impairment was 2.6 per 1,000 newborns.
Conclusions:
- The program meets WHO 1-3-6 goals, but lost follow-up may underestimate hearing loss prevalence.
- Improving screening program awareness is critical for accurate prevalence data.
- Early identification of hearing loss significantly benefits affected infants.
Objectives:
To analyze the performance of a leading institution in implementing newborn hearing screening and address two key areas: the knowledge gap in screening practice and the prevalence of permanent sensorineural hearing loss in Saudi Arabia.
Methods:
We analyzed the prevalence of hearing impairment in all live births at King Fahad Hospital of the University, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, from September 2018 to June 2022. Automated auditory brainstem response was used for both initial screening and rescreening. Newborns who failed the rescreening underwent a diagnostic evaluation. We assessed the coverage of initial screening, the rate of lost follow-up, referrals for rescreening and diagnostic evaluation, and the prevalence of hearing impairment.
Results:
A total of 5,986 newborns were born. Of these, 96.5% were screened. The passing rate for the initial screening and rescreening was 71.8%. However, 27.5% of newborns were lost to follow-up. Only 0.7% required referral for a diagnostic evaluation. The overall prevalence of hearing impairment was 2.6 per 1,000 newborns.
Conclusion:
Early identification of hearing loss through newborn screening improves the lives of affected individuals. Our program currently meets the World Health Organization's 1-3-6 benchmark goals. However, the underestimation of permanent hearing loss due to the 30% lost-to-follow-up rate is a limitation. Emphasizing the importance of the screening program is crucial to raising awareness and improving the accuracy of prevalence rates.
