Newborn Hearing Screening at a Single Tertiary Care Hospital in the United Arab Emirates
Abstract
Background and Aim: The United Arab Emirates has been successfully identifying and rehabilitating children having congenital hearing loss. A dearth of published data regarding the newborn hearing screening programs in the country demands the current study. The study aimed to find incidence of hearing loss and impact of known risk factors for hearing loss in a cohort of newborn babies in a single tertiary hospital in the United Arab Emirates.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of hearing screening from January 2010 to December 2019 on a total of 37661 newborn babies were conducted using a screening protocol in auditory brainstem responses.
Results: We report an overall incidence of 0.16% for congenital hearing loss in the current study population. Babies with prolonged stay in Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) had an incidence of 0.87% and in babies with positive family history of hearing loss, it was as high as 2.2%. Chi square analysis revealed the significance of these risk factors (p<0.001). 72% (44.61) received hearing rehabilitation by being fitted with cochlear implants and hearing aids except in few having other comorbidities.
Conclusion: The newborn screening program has run a successful journey since the beginning in the country and the current study is an example. A majority of children identified has received early audiological rehabilitation helping the country in promoting inclusive education and better quality of life for them. Further studies may be implicated to see the outcome of early rehabilitation initiated in the identified population.
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[18] Pourarian S, Khademi B, Pishva N, Jamali A. Prevalence of hearing loss in newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. Iran J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012;24(68):129-34.
[19] Nie W, Wu H, Qi Y, Lin Q, Xiang L, Li H, et al. A casecontrol study on high-risk factors for newborn hearing loss in seven cities of Shandong province. J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci. 2007;27(2):217-20. [DOI:10.1007/s11596-007-0230-y]
[20] D’Mello J. High risk register--an economical tool for early identification of hearing loss. Indian J Pediatr. 1995;62(6):731-5. [DOI:10.1007/BF02825129]
[21] Selvarajan HG, Arunachalam RK, Bellur R, Mandke K, Nagarajan R. Association of family history and consanguinity with permanent hearing impairment. Indian J Otol. 2013;19(2):62-5. [DOI:10.4103/0971-7749.113510]
[22] Zakzouk S. Consanguinity and hearing impairment in developing countries: a custom to be discouraged. J Laryngol Otol. 2002;116(10):811-6. [DOI:10.1258/00222150260293628]
[23] Khabori MA, Patton MA. Consanguinity and deafness in Omani children. Int J Audiol. 2008;47(1):30-3. [DOI:10.1080/14992020701703539]
[24] Bradford MJ, Castellanos MP, Kover S, Arenberg JG, Tremblay K, Mancl L. Hospital-Based New-born Hearing Screening Across The Globe: A Systematic Review & Preliminary Report On Guatemala’s Program. Audiology Capstone Projects and Papers. 2019 http://hdl.handle.net/1773/43783
[25] Zaitoun M, Rawashdeh M, AlQudah S, ALMohammad H, Nuseir A, Al-Tamimi F. Knowledge and Practice of Hearing Screening and Hearing Loss Management among Ear, Nose, and Throat Physicians in Jordan. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021;25(1):e98-107. [DOI:10.1055/s-0040-1709112]
[26] Sequi Canet JM, Sala Langa MJ, Collar Del Castillo JI. [Results from ten years newborn hearing screening in a secondary hospital]. An Pediatr (Barc). 2016;85(4):189-96. Spanish. [DOI:10.1016/j.anpedi.2015.11.003]
[27] Moeller MP, Hoover B, Peterson B, Stelmachowicz P. Consistency of hearing aid use in infants with early-identified hearing loss. Am J Audiol. 2009;18(1):14-23. [DOI:10.1044/1059-0889(2008/08-0010)]
[28] Elfenbein JL. Monitoring Preschoolers’ Hearing Aids: Issues in Program Design and Implementation. Am J Audiol. 1994;3(2):65-70. [DOI:10.1044/1059-0889.0302.65]
[29] Marnane V, Ching TY. Hearing aid and cochlear implant use in children with hearing loss at three years of age: Predictors of use and predictors of changes in use. Int J Audiol. 2015;54(8):544-51. [DOI:10.3109/14992027.2015.1017660]
[30] Fryauf-Bertschy H, Tyler RS, Kelsay DM, Gantz BJ, Woodworth GG. Cochlear implant use by prelingually deafened children: the influences of age at implant and length of device use. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1997;40(1):183-99. [DOI:10.1044/jslhr.4001.183]
[31] Manrique M, Cervera-Paz FJ, Huarte A, Perez N, Molina M, García-Tapia R. Cerebral auditory plasticity and cochlear implants. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 1999;49 Suppl 1:S193-7. [DOI:10.1016/S0165-5876(99)00159-7]
[2] Morton CC, Nance WE. Newborn hearing screening-a silent revolution. N Engl J Med. 2006;354(20):2151-64. [DOI:10.1056/NEJMra050700]
[3] Haggard MP, Pullan CR. Staffing and structure for paediatric audiology services in hospital and community units. Br J Audiol. 1989;23(2):99-116. [DOI:10.3109/03005368909077828]
[4] Butcher E, Dezateux C, Knowles RL. Risk factors for permanent childhood hearing impairment. Arch Dis Child. 2020;105(2):187-9. [DOI:10.1136/archdischild-2018-315866]
[5] Finitzo T, Crumley WG. The role of the pediatrician in hearing loss. From detection to connection. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1999;46(1):15-34, ix-x. [DOI:10.1016/S0031-3955(05)70078-X]
[6] Yoshinaga-Itano C, Sedey AL, Coulter DK, Mehl AL. Language of early- and later-identified children with hearing loss. Pediatrics. 1998;102(5):1161-71. [DOI:10.1542/peds.102.5.1161]
[7] Yoshinaga-Itano C. From Screening to Early Identification and Intervention: Discovering Predictors to Successful Outcomes for Children with Significant Hearing Loss. J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ. 2003;8(1):11-30. [DOI:10.1093/deafed/8.1.11]
[8] US Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH). Year 2019 Position Statement: Principles and Guidelines for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Programs. J Early Hear Detect Interv. 2019;4(2):1-44.
[9] American Academy of Pediatrics, Joint Committee on Infant Hearing. Year 2007 position statement: Principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Pediatrics. 2007;120(4):898-921. [DOI:10.1542/peds.2007-2333]
[10] Thompson DC, McPhillips H, Davis RL, Lieu TL, Homer CJ, Helfand M. Universal newborn hearing screening: summary of evidence. JAMA. 2001;286(16):2000-10. [DOI:10.1001/jama.286.16.2000]
[11] Ur Rehman M, Mando K, Rahmani A, Imran A, Ur Rehman N, Gowda K, et al. Screening for neonatal hearing loss in the Eastern region of United Arab Emirates. East Mediterr Health J. 2012;18(12):1254-6. [DOI:10.26719/2012.18.12.1254]
[12] Ayas M, Yaseen H. Emerging Data from a Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Int J Pediatr. 2021;2021:2616890. [DOI:10.1155/2021/2616890]
[13] Driscoll C, Beswick R, Doherty E, D’Silva R, Cross A. The validity of family history as a risk factor in pediatric hearing loss. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2015;79(5):654-9. [DOI:10.1016/j.ijporl.2015.02.007]
[14] Habib HS, Abdelgaffar H. Neonatal hearing screening with transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in Western Saudi Arabia. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2005;69(6):839-42. [DOI:10.1016/j.ijporl.2005.01.018]
[15] Khandekar R, Khabori M, Mohammed AJ, Gupta R. Neonatal screening for hearing impairment--The Oman experience. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2006;70(4):663-70. [DOI:10.1016/j.ijporl.2005.08.020]
[16] Abu Dhabi Health Authority - Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi newborn screening program. Health professional manual 2009: 29-31.
[17] Joint Committee on Infant Hearing; American Academy of Audiology; American Academy of Pediatrics; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs in State Health and Welfare Agencies. Year 2000 position statement: principles and guidelines for early hearing detection and intervention programs. Joint Committee on Infant Hearing, American Academy of Audiology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs in State Health and Welfare Agencies. Pediatrics. 2000;106(4):798-817. [DOI:10.1542/peds.106.4.798]
[18] Pourarian S, Khademi B, Pishva N, Jamali A. Prevalence of hearing loss in newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. Iran J Otorhinolaryngol. 2012;24(68):129-34.
[19] Nie W, Wu H, Qi Y, Lin Q, Xiang L, Li H, et al. A casecontrol study on high-risk factors for newborn hearing loss in seven cities of Shandong province. J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci. 2007;27(2):217-20. [DOI:10.1007/s11596-007-0230-y]
[20] D’Mello J. High risk register--an economical tool for early identification of hearing loss. Indian J Pediatr. 1995;62(6):731-5. [DOI:10.1007/BF02825129]
[21] Selvarajan HG, Arunachalam RK, Bellur R, Mandke K, Nagarajan R. Association of family history and consanguinity with permanent hearing impairment. Indian J Otol. 2013;19(2):62-5. [DOI:10.4103/0971-7749.113510]
[22] Zakzouk S. Consanguinity and hearing impairment in developing countries: a custom to be discouraged. J Laryngol Otol. 2002;116(10):811-6. [DOI:10.1258/00222150260293628]
[23] Khabori MA, Patton MA. Consanguinity and deafness in Omani children. Int J Audiol. 2008;47(1):30-3. [DOI:10.1080/14992020701703539]
[24] Bradford MJ, Castellanos MP, Kover S, Arenberg JG, Tremblay K, Mancl L. Hospital-Based New-born Hearing Screening Across The Globe: A Systematic Review & Preliminary Report On Guatemala’s Program. Audiology Capstone Projects and Papers. 2019 http://hdl.handle.net/1773/43783
[25] Zaitoun M, Rawashdeh M, AlQudah S, ALMohammad H, Nuseir A, Al-Tamimi F. Knowledge and Practice of Hearing Screening and Hearing Loss Management among Ear, Nose, and Throat Physicians in Jordan. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2021;25(1):e98-107. [DOI:10.1055/s-0040-1709112]
[26] Sequi Canet JM, Sala Langa MJ, Collar Del Castillo JI. [Results from ten years newborn hearing screening in a secondary hospital]. An Pediatr (Barc). 2016;85(4):189-96. Spanish. [DOI:10.1016/j.anpedi.2015.11.003]
[27] Moeller MP, Hoover B, Peterson B, Stelmachowicz P. Consistency of hearing aid use in infants with early-identified hearing loss. Am J Audiol. 2009;18(1):14-23. [DOI:10.1044/1059-0889(2008/08-0010)]
[28] Elfenbein JL. Monitoring Preschoolers’ Hearing Aids: Issues in Program Design and Implementation. Am J Audiol. 1994;3(2):65-70. [DOI:10.1044/1059-0889.0302.65]
[29] Marnane V, Ching TY. Hearing aid and cochlear implant use in children with hearing loss at three years of age: Predictors of use and predictors of changes in use. Int J Audiol. 2015;54(8):544-51. [DOI:10.3109/14992027.2015.1017660]
[30] Fryauf-Bertschy H, Tyler RS, Kelsay DM, Gantz BJ, Woodworth GG. Cochlear implant use by prelingually deafened children: the influences of age at implant and length of device use. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1997;40(1):183-99. [DOI:10.1044/jslhr.4001.183]
[31] Manrique M, Cervera-Paz FJ, Huarte A, Perez N, Molina M, García-Tapia R. Cerebral auditory plasticity and cochlear implants. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 1999;49 Suppl 1:S193-7. [DOI:10.1016/S0165-5876(99)00159-7]
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 32 No 1 (2023) | |
| Section | Research Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/avr.v32i1.11322 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Hearing loss newborn screening newborn intensive care unit family history risk factors | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Al Shamisi AM, Roy ME. Newborn Hearing Screening at a Single Tertiary Care Hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Aud Vestib Res. 2023;32(1):54-63.
