Neonatal bacterial meningitis: hearing screening and audiological monitoring outcomes

Abstract

Objective

This study reviewed the outcomes of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) and ongoing hearing monitoring in children following recovery from neonatal bacterial meningitis to determine (a) whether screening may be a suitable alternative to diagnostic audiology for detecting permanent childhood hearing loss (PCHL) and (b) whether infants who pass UNHS should be monitored throughout childhood.

Design

Retrospective analysis of a UNHS database.

Study sample

Data were extracted from the state-wide UNHS database for all children born in Queensland Australia between 1 September 2004 and 30 June 2020 with the risk factor of bacterial meningitis (in isolation or in combination with other risk factors) identified at the time of the UNHS. This cohort included 231 children.

Results

Results showed that all post-meningitic infants diagnosed with PCHL had a refer result on the UNHS or were medically excluded from screening. Additionally, no cases of PCHL were identified through the targeted surveillance program following a pass result on UNHS.

Conclusions

UNHS may be sufficient to detect PCHL in post-meningitic neonates and routine audiological monitoring may not be required for children who pass the screen.

Keywords:

• Audiology
• bacterial meningitis
• risk factors
• screening
• monitoring

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Gavin Bott for his assistance with extraction of data used in this study and the team at Healthy Hearing, Children’s Health Queensland for their support and advice.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data are not available.