Epidemiological Profile of Neonates in Hearing Screening at a Maternity of a Tertiary Hospital in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction The newborn hearing screening (NHS) test aims the early diagnostic of hearing deficits that may also harm the full development of communication and learning of the affected child. Objective Trace the clinical and epidemiological profile of children born between July 2016 and July 2019; in addition to the outcome of the NHSs and factors related to failure in the hearing tests at a maternity of a tertiary hospital in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Methods The present is a cross-sectional study. A census of those born in the period defined for study was performed and a script was developed for the review of medical records, based on the literature. Results The sample can be considered homogeneous in relation to gender and age. The pregnant women had an average of 30.9 years. There were 30 neonates (1.9%) that did not undergo NHS. New evaluations were required in 288 patients (18.2%). Finally, 24 (1.5% of the population) remained with insufficient results in the retest. The following variables achieved statistical relevance with higher failure rates in tests and/or retests: natural delivery (p = 0.007), arterial hypertension present (p = 0.002), use of hydralazine (p = 0.038), and use of dipyrone in the test (p = 0.041) and retest (p = 0.003). Younger mothers had higher levels of normality in the test (p = 0.003) and retest (p = 0.161). The correlations between the other variables and the outcomes were not statistically significant. Conclusion False positives (62.8%) in the first test showed a value higher than the ideal goal; those who did not undergo the NHS (1.9%) and who needed evaluation by a specialist, due to failure in the retest (1.5%), are within the quality goals defined by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) in 2007.