Follow-up results of newborns after hearing screening at a training and research hospital in Turkey

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to present the follow-up results of newborns after universal newborn hearing screening at a Training and Research Hospital in Istanbul and to determine the ages of diagnosis, hearing aid fitting, and cochlear implantation in newborns with hearing loss. MATERIALS and METHODS: A total of 5985 newborns were screened between December 2009 and August 2011 using the transient evoked otoacoustic emission test as the first two steps and automated auditory brainstem response (ABR) test as the third step. Newborns who failed the screening tests were referred to a tertiary hospital for clinic ABR and were followed up at least for 2 years. RESULTS: Of 5985 newborns, 5116 (85.5%) completed the screening. Of 53 newborns who were referred to a tertiary hospital, 13 (0.25%) had a hearing impairment. The mean age of diagnosis, hearing aid fitting, and cochlear implantation were 6.1, 9.5, and 24.5 months, respectively. Among the risk factors for hearing impairment, neonatal intensive care (60%) and consanguineous marriage (50%) were the most common ones that were encountered. CONCLUSION: Our results were consistent with the national literature. Consanguineous marriage may be a risk factor for hearing impairment where it is commonly practiced because consanguineous marriage is significantly high in parents of deaf children. The ages of diagnosis and hearing aid fitting are still beyond the recommended ages by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing.