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Is COVID-19 infection during pregnancy a risk for congenital hearing loss?

Jane Sheehan1, Alison Jagger1, Kate L Francis2

  • 1Centre for Community Child Health, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|December 14, 2024
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 infection during pregnancy did not increase infant risk for congenital hearing loss. This large study found no difference in newborn hearing screen results or diagnosed hearing loss between infants born to mothers with or without COVID-19.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Pregnancy infections pose risks for congenital hearing loss.
  • COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is a concern for infant health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy and the risk of congenital hearing loss in infants.
  • To analyze newborn hearing screening and audiology diagnostic results in relation to parental COVID-19 status.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective clinical audit of a universal newborn hearing screening program in Victoria, Australia (n=75,330 infants born in 2022).
  • Data collected via self-report for COVID-19 infections during pregnancy.
  • Statistical analysis using general linear regression models with binomial distribution to compare outcomes between infected and non-infected groups.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in the proportion of infants referred for diagnostic audiology between the infection group (1.4%) and the non-infection group (1.3%).
  • Similar proportions of infants diagnosed with any type and degree of hearing loss across both groups (0.6% in both).
  • Maternal and infant characteristics were comparable between the groups.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of congenital hearing loss in infants.
  • Findings do not support specific management protocols for newborn hearing screening in infants born to mothers with COVID-19 during pregnancy.
  • This large-scale epidemiological study provides robust evidence on the safety of pregnancy with respect to infant hearing outcomes post-COVID-19 infection.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19Congenital hearing lossDiagnostic audiologyInfant hearingNewborn hearing screeningPregnancy

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