Diagnostic outcome of referred neonatal hearing screening in a secondary healthcare center at Elmahalla , Gharbia, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: An early detection of congenital hearing loss and appropriate hearing rehabilitation are mandatory for both individuals and societies. Aim and objectives: To estimate incidence and identify type, degree, possible causes of congenital hearing loss among infants and identify difficulties encountered in diagnostic procedures. Patients and methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 75 neonates who were referred from primary health care centers to Audiology unit, El Mahalla General Hospital to be diagnosed for possible hearing abnormalities .This work was done in the period from May 2022 to January 2023. Results: Almost all examined neonates with type (A) tympanogram gave "Pass" results by otoacoustic emission (OAE) test & all neonates with type (B) tympanogram gave "Refer" results by otoacoustic emission (OAE) test. The results of click and tone burst ABR tests showed that a total of 33/72 ears (45.8%) had congenital hearing loss; 16 ears (48.5%) were conductive hearing loss, 15 ears (45.4%) were congenital permanent sensorineural hearing loss, and 2 ears (6.1%) were mixed hearing loss. 39 ears(54.2%) had normal hearing levels by ABR test. Conclusion: Both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss were common in neonates with a slight high incidence of conductive hearing loss. Diagnosis of congenital hearing loss among neonates was by immittancemetry, otoacoustic emission (OAE) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests.