Prevalence of Hearing Impairment Among High-Risk Newborns in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The burden of severe hearing impairment is increasing with two-thirds of these hearing impaired people residing in developing countries. Newborn hearing screening helps to identify early, babies who need intervention in order to prevent future disability. Neither universal nor targeted hearing screening programme is available in Nigeria.Objectives: This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of hearing impairment among high-risk newborns in UCH and the associated risk factors.Materials and Methods: Two hundred one newborns in the neonatal unit of UCH with risk factors for hearing impairment had hearing screening done using automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) at 30, 45, and 70 dB at admission and discharge, and those that failed screening at discharge were rescreened at 6 weeks post-discharge.Results: Eighty-three (41.3%) and 32 (15.9%) high-risk newborns failed at admission and discharge screening respectively, and 19 (9.5%) still failed at follow up screening. The majority of hearing loss at follow up was bilateral (94.7%) and severe (52.6%). The risk factors associated with persistent hearing loss at follow up were acute bilirubin encephalopathy (RR = 11.2, CI: 1.4–90.6), IVH (RR = 8.8, CI: 1.1–71.8), meningitis (RR = 4.8, CI: 1.01–29), recurrent apnoea (RR = 2.7, CI: 1.01–7.3), severe perinatal asphyxia NNE III (RR = 7, CI: 2.4–20.2).Conclusion: Severe and bilateral hearing impairment is a common complication among high risk newborns in UCH persisting till 6 weeks post-neonatal care. Severe perinatal asphyxia with NNE III, ABE, IVH, meningitis and administration of amikacin for more than 5 days were significant risk factors. We recommend that SCBU graduates with these risk factors should have mandatory audiologic evaluation at discharge.

Maternal, Perinatal, and Postnatal Predisposing Factors of Hearing Loss in Full-Term Children: A Matched Case-Control Study

“…In the present study, perinatal asphyxia and cord prolapse/compression remained significant factors after multivariate analyses. Ventilator use and ICU stay, which are indicators of critical illness, are known risk factors for HL in infants admitted to the ICU [12,13]. However, in the present study, ICU stay but not ventilator use was an independent risk factor, implying that the underlying causes of ventilator use (such as asphyxia) may be the reason rather than use of the device itself.…”

“…Asphyxia and cord prolapse/compression results in significant tissue hypoperfusion and might damage neurons and cochlear hair cells [8, 22]. Results on the association between perinatal asphyxia and hearing impairment have been inconsistent [11, 13]. In a population-based study, perinatal asphyxia was not an independent risk factor in children with hearing impairment (aOR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.3–1.4) [11].…”

“…A few reports investigated the impact of prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal events simultaneously on HL development. Studies investigating prenatal and perinatal factors have generally included a relatively small number of patients in specific populations [12, 13]. To overcome these limitations, we used a specific nationwide population-based data set containing the medical service data of pregnant women and their offspring to conduct a propensity score-matched case-control study.…”

Neonatal Asphyxia as a Risk Factor for Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Indonesian Children

“…This may be due to the mobility of the tympanic membrane or the accumulation of amniotic fluid and debris in the outer ear which is usually found at the beginning of birth, leading to false positives in the results of the study. Meanwhile, on the second OAE examination, the number of subjects with referral results decreased significantly because the fluid had been absorbed over time (20,21) .…”

The use of hearing aids in children under two years of age with moderate hearing loss

“…Szacuje się, że 2-5/1000 noworodków rodzi się z wadą słuchu [1][2][3][4]. Postawienie diagnozy i wczesne rozpoczęcie rehabilitacji słuchowej u dzieci z niedosłuchem umożliwia prawidłowy rozwój słuchowy.…”