Comparison of hearing screening outcomes in newborns of gestational diabetic and non-diabetic mothers: a prospective, controlled study

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate whether Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is related to presumptive hearing impairment in newborns.

Study design

The newborns were divided into two groups. The first group included the children of gestational diabetic pregnancies (DPs), and the second group, the children of non-gestational diabetic pregnancies (NDPs). Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) and automated Auditory Brainstem Response (aABR) tests were applied as hearing screening tests.

Results

Twenty (40.8%) newborns in the DPs group and 5 (7.7%) newborns in the NDPs group failed the first hearing screening test (p = .001). The number of newborns with bilateral failed hearing screening tests was higher in the DPs group at the first screening (75% vs. 20%, p = .04). Fifteen (75.0%) of 20 newborns in the DPs group and 1 (20.0%) of 5 newborns in the NDPs group failed the second TEOAE hearing screening test (p = .04).

Conclusion

The possibility of presumptive hearing impairment is higher in the newborns of mothers with gestational diabetes compared to the newborns of non-diabetic mothers.

Keywords:

• Gestational diabetes mellitus
• hearing loss
• newborn

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.