Outcome of a universal newborn hearing-screening programme based on multiple transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions and clinical brainstem response audiometry

Abstract

Conclusion: This universal newborn hearing-screening (UNHS) programme revealed high efficacy. The proportion of congenital sensorineural hearing loss was higher in left ears and in males than in right ears and females, which was in line with the systematic ear asymmetries and sex differences in transient-evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) pass percentage. Objectives: To study the long-term outcome of a UNHS programme based on multiple TEOAEs and clinical click-evoked auditory brainstem response (ABR). Method: The study included all the newborns that were screened during a 6-year period (n = 31 092). TEOAE pass/fail was analysed in detail. In an assessment performed 10 years after the start of the 6-year UNHS, prevalence, degree and type of congenital hearing loss were studied. Results: The proportion of screened newborns was high, i.e. 98%. Multiple TEOAE recordings minimized the need for clinical ABR. Fifty-seven (0.18%) subjects showed bilateral hearing loss (exceeding ≈ 30 dB HL); median ABR threshold = 60 dB nHL (at 2.5 months of age). Bilateral and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss was found in 0.17% (n = 52; 56% males) and 0.06% (n = 18; 61% left ears, 56% males) of the screened newborns, respectively. Higher TEOAE pass percentages (p < 0.01) were demonstrated in right ears and in females than in left ears and males.

Keywords::

• Hearing loss
• laterality
• neonatal screening
• sex characteristics

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all those who have contributed to a successful screening programme. This study was supported by funds from the Tysta Skolan Foundation, Eskilstuna-Huddinge Research Fund, Swedish Association of Hard of Hearing, Swedish Technical Audiological Society, Swedish Society of Medicine, Capio Research Foundation and Karolinska Institutet. Part of this study was presented as posters during EFAS 2005, Gothenburg, Sweden, NHS 2006, Villa Erba – Lake Como, Italy, and the 33rd Midwinter Research Meeting, Association for Research in Otolaryngology, Anaheim, CA, USA, 2010. An oral paper on a part of this study was presented during NAS 2006, Stavanger, Norway. A summary in Swedish on a part of this study was published in AudioNytt, 2005. Sten Hellström is greatly acknowledged for his valuable comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.