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. 2024 Jan;19(1):35-39.
doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2024.01.002. Epub 2024 Jan 2.

Universal newborn hearing screening program in Saudi Arabia: Current insight

Noura Alothman  1 , Reem Elbeltagy  2   1 , Reem Mulla  1   3
Affiliations

Universal newborn hearing screening program in Saudi Arabia: Current insight

Noura Alothman et al. J Otol. 2024 Jan.

Abstract

Newborn hearing screening (NHS) programs are essential to identify hearing loss early in life and to improve outcomes in children. In Saudi Arabia, the national NHS program has been operational since 2016; however, few studies have evaluated its status, and none have covered all provinces across the country. This cross-sectional retrospective study provides an overview of the program's status across all provinces, focusing on screening coverage rates, referral/fail rates, and follow-up procedures. In 2021, 199,034 newborns were screened, with a coverage rate of 92.6% and an overall referral/fail rate of 1.87%. These performance measures provide a foundation for future progress and improvements. This study highlights the importance of ongoing efforts to enhance the program's effectiveness and sustainability.

Keywords: Auditory brainstem response; Hearing loss; Hearing screening; Newborn; Saudi Arabia.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of pass and referral rates at each stage of the newborn hearing screening program.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Overall referral rate (%) at the end of screening for each of the 13 provinces (gray columns) and across all provinces (black column). AJ: Al-Jouf; NB: Northern Borders; T: Tabouk; H: Hail; AS: Ash-Sharqiyah; R: Riyadh; AQ: Al-Qassim; AB: A-Baha; J: Jazan; A: Aseer; N: Najran; M: Makkah; AM: Al-Medina.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Overall referral rate (%) at the end of screening for the five geographical regions of Saudi Arabia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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