EC Paediatrics

Introduction: Hearing is necessary for the proper mental, social, speech, and language development of a newborn child. Delay in diagnosis leads to improper development of mental, social, speech and language skills. There are several preventable causes for hearing impairment which is either maternal, intrapartum, or postpartum. The objective of the study is to find out the prevalence of hearing impairment in high-risk neonates admitted to the NICU of tertiary care hospital in north Karnataka.

Objectives: To find out the prevalence of hearing impairment in high-risk neonates who were admitted to a tertiary care hospital in north Karnataka.

Methods: This is a case series study, performed at Hanagal Shri Kumareshwar hospital Bagalkot a tertiary care center in north Karnataka from June 2021 and May 2022. This study was conducted after taking informed consent and ethical committee clearance, those who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria are taken into the study. All the high-risk new-born were subjected to the first Otoacoustic examination (OAE), and those who did not pass the first OAE were subjected to a second OAE before discharge. Those who did not pass the second were subjected to BERA at 3 months of age. Those who failed in BERA were considered as having a hearing impairment and were considered for further management.

Results: 470 high-risk neonates were subjected to 1^st OAE screening, out of which 179 were subjected to 2^nd OAE. Among 179 neonates 70 cases were subjected to BERA. Out of which 40 (8.5%) cases showed hearing impairment. Common risk factors for hearing impairment noted were, babies on mechanical ventilation for > 5 days (17.46%), family history of hearing loss (14.29%), maternal comorbidities (11.11%), birth asphyxia (9.72%), child on ototoxic medication (9.66%), Preterm (8.74%), low birth weight (8.03%) and hyperbilirubinemia (5.30%), These risk factor did not show a statistically significant influence on hearing impairment except hyperbilirubinemia (P value < 0.05).

Conclusion: Due to multiple risk factors exposure in newborns who are admitted to NICU are at higher risk for hearing impairment. For detecting hearing impairment in newborns two staged OAE and BERA are useful protocols that can be implemented as a national program. Early detection and management of hearing impairment will reduce the problem associated with that such as mental, social, speech, and language development of the child.

Keywords: Early Hearing Impairment; High-Risk Neonates; Prevalence; Risk Factors

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