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[Deafness in the neonatal period: basis for screening]
P Bonfils1, M François, D Aidan
1Laboratoire de recherche sur la physiologie et la physiopathologie de l'audition (ER 296), faculté Necker-Enfants-Malades, université Paris V, hôpital Boucicaut, France.
Insights
Early infant hearing screening is crucial for minimizing auditory disability. Evoked otoacoustic emissions offer a rapid, cost-effective method for neonatal hearing loss detection.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Neonatal care
- Public health
Context:
- Infant hearing loss requires early detection to minimize disability.
- Neonatal screening programs are critical for optimal rehabilitative outcomes.
- Current French neonatal auditory screening programs lack consistency with established principles.
Purpose:
- To present the state-of-the-art in neonatal screening principles and procedures for auditory dysfunction.
- To highlight the limitations of current French neonatal screening programs.
- To introduce Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (EOAEs) as an advanced screening tool.
Summary:
- Evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAEs) are a promising method for screening hearing loss in neonates, including those in intensive care.
- This technique measures low-intensity sound energy from the cochlea in response to auditory stimulation.
- EOAEs provide a rapid and cost-effective means to identify infants with normal peripheral auditory systems.
Impact:
- Facilitates early identification and intervention for hearing impairment in newborns.
- Improves the effectiveness of neonatal hearing screening programs.
- Offers a practical solution for widespread, efficient neonatal hearing assessment.
Abstract:
Deafness must be recognized in infancy in order to reduce auditory disability to a minimum. To achieve this, it is important to implement screening programmes as soon after birth as possible. In the United States, the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recommended in 1982 that identification of hearing loss should be screened in the neonatal period. This early detection is now considered critical for optimal rehabilitative outcome. This paper presents the "state of art" neonatal screening principles and procedures. In France, neonatal screening programs for auditory dysfunction are not consistent with these principles. Evoked otoacoustic emissions represent an important advance in screening for hearing loss in normal neonates and babies from neonatal intensive care units. This method records very low intensity sound energy released by the cochlea in response to a brief sound stimulation. These otoacoustic emissions show promise as a rapid, cost-effective means of quickly discharging all babies with normal peripherical auditory systems.