Abstract
ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to assess the incidence of hearing loss in the pediatric population through otoacoustic emission (OAE) and brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) and to analyze the possible etiological factors responsible for it.Material and methodsA retrospective observational study was conducted in the Otolaryngology (ENT) and Gynecology and Obstetrics Departments at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and National Institute of Child Health in Karachi, Pakistan between July 2019 and October 2019. The convenient sampling technique was used to select the patients. The final sample size consisting of newborns and children was 108. Initially, screening procedures were undertaken for newborns to detect permanent or fluctuating, bilateral or unilateral, and sensory or conductive hearing loss, averaging 30-40 dB or more in the frequency region, which indicated potential issues related to speech recognition (approximately 500-4,000 Hz). The screening of newborns involved the use of non-invasive, objective physiologic measures that included OAEs and/or auditory brainstem response (ABR). The children with hearing impairment then underwent BERA; thereafter, further investigations were performed to confirm the defects found on BERA testing.ResultsOf the 108 cases, 96 had normal hearing on OAE screening, and 12 were found to have hearing loss on the OAE test. Further testing was carried out on BERA for 12 cases that had been detected to have hearing loss on OAE, and BERA showed normal hearing for five cases whereas seven were found to have hearing loss. Of the seven patients with hearing loss on the BERA test, five were diagnosed with cochlear deafness, and two had retrocochlear deafness.ConclusionOur present study concludes that in order to avoid any hearing problems in infants, OAE hearing screening and diagnostic BERA screening programs should be carried out in all the hospitals of Pakistan to assess newborn hearing at an early age.
Highlights
Hearing function plays a substantial role in the growth of intellect as well as language-related abilities in humans
We aimed to assess the incidence of hearing loss in the pediatric population through otoacoustic emission (OAE) and brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) and to analyze the possible etiological factors responsible for it
One is OAE, which is based on the recording of physiological sound produced by the outer hair cells of the cochlear, while the other is BERA, which is a recording of the electrical event from the brainstem in response to a sound stimulus
Summary
Hearing function plays a substantial role in the growth of intellect as well as language-related abilities in humans. The effects of primary diagnoses and recovery of newborns having an impairment or loss of hearing are understated [1]. Congenital hearing loss among newborn babies as well as children could cause deficiency and defect in the growth of various abilities, such as speech, leading to emotional distress. Pediatricians should diagnose infants and children who are exposed to risk, intervene effectively as early as possible, and refer patients when needed [3,4]. The prevalence of sensorineural loss of hearing is estimated to be roughly about one to three per 1,000 newborn babies [5,6]. Among those one to three, 1/1000 of children suffer from severe and profound
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