Is newborn hearing screening accurate?

Generally speaking, newborn hearing screening is relatively accurate. If there are problems with the screening, a re-examination can be conducted. If the newborn's hearing screening fails, it means that there are certain problems with the child's hearing. We know that if a child has a hearing problem, it will have a great impact on the baby's future life and work. We must understand the specific reasons. Let's take a look at this aspect.

Is newborn hearing screening accurate?

Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) is an objective, rapid and non-invasive examination performed on newborns in their natural sleep or quiet state after birth, using electrophysiological tests such as otoacoustic emissions, automated auditory brainstem response and acoustic impedance. Domestic and foreign reports indicate that the incidence of hearing loss in normal newborns and newborns with high-risk factors is quite different, with normal newborns being approximately 1%o to 3‰ and high-risk newborns being approximately 2% to 4%.

Newborn hearing screening time

1. Initial screening process (primary screening): that is, hearing screening of newborns during their hospitalization 3-5 days after birth.

2. The second screening process (rescreening): Infants within 42 days of birth fail the initial screening; or the initial screening is "suspicious"; or even if the initial screening has "passed" but is at high risk of hearing loss, such as children in the intensive care unit, need to undergo hearing rescreening.

Newborn hearing screening targets

There are two main types of newborn hearing screening subjects: one is all normal newborns; the other is newborns with high risk factors for hearing impairment.

Risk factors for hearing impairment:

1. Those who have been in the neonatal intensive care unit for 48 hours or more;

2. Premature birth (less than 26 weeks), or birth weight less than 1500 grams;

3. Hyperbilirubinemia;

4. Those with symptoms or signs of syndromes related to sensorineural and/or conductive hearing loss;

5. Those with a family history of permanent sensorineural hearing loss in childhood;

6. Craniofacial deformities, including microtia, external auditory canal deformity, cleft palate, etc.;

7. Intrauterine infection of the pregnant mother, such as cytomegalovirus, herpes, toxoplasmosis, etc.

8. The mother has used ototoxic drugs during pregnancy;

9. History of hypoxia and asphyxia at birth, Apgar score 0-4 points/1min or 0-6 points/5min;

10. Mechanical ventilation for more than 5 days;

11. Bacterial meningitis.