Neonatal hearing screening among high-risk newborns in Northwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients are at an increased risk of developing hearing loss. Given the critical role of normal hearing in speech and language development, early detection and treatment of this condition in children are paramount.

Methods: Hearing assessments were performed using transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) and automated auditory brain stem response (AABR) tests on 60 neonates. The resulting data were analysed using R version 4.3.3.

Results: Out of the 60 neonates enrolled in the study, 57% were males and 43% were females, and their ages ranged from 1 to 30 days. A total of 43 (71.7%) neonates passed both hearing tests, while 17 (28.3%) failed. In the unadjusted analysis, low birth weight, prematurity, birth asphyxia, and gestational age were significantly associated with neonatal hearing screening failure. Premature neonates and those with low birth weight had markedly higher odds of failing the screening (Odds Ratio (OR) = 24.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) [5.85-135.0] and OR = 12.3; 95% CI [3.5-50.6], respectively), while gestational age was associated with lower odds of failure (OR = 0.59; 95% CI [0.43-0.76]). In the multivariable model, after accounting for multicollinearity, only gestational age remained a statistically significant predictor, with each additional week associated with reduced odds of screening failure (adjusted OR = 0.60; 95% CI [0.43-0.80]).

Conclusion: Our findings underscore the importance of early screening for hearing loss in high-risk neonates in the NICU to facilitate timely interventions.

Keywords: Auditory brainstem response; Hearing loss; Neonatal intensive care unit; Neonates; Nigeria; Otoacoustic emission.

Figure 1. Distribution of birth weight (B, D, F) and gestational age (A, C, E) stratified by neonatal characteristics. (A, B) show distributions by neonates gender, (C, D) by hearing test outcome (pass/fail), and (E, F) by mode of delivery (Caesarean section vs. spontaneous vaginal delivery).