Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

MDPI, Journal of Clinical Medicine, 24(12), p. 7583, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/jcm12247583

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Hearing Loss and Risk Factors in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The incidence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is still high in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. The purpose of our study was to provide the prevalence rates of SNHL and to analyze the risk factors of hearing impairment and changes in hearing thresholds in a cohort of VLBW infants. A retrospective observational study was conducted in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from 2012 to 2016. All VLBW infants included were screened by transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and diagnostic auditory brainstem response (ABR). In total, we enrolled 316 infants and SNHL was diagnosed in 68, leading to an early incidence of 21.5% as 36 infants out of 68 improved. Finally, SNHL was confirmed in 20 patients (6.3%) who needed hearing aids. They were significantly smaller, sicker, had longer hospitalizations, and received more ototoxic therapies. Logistic regression analysis showed that gestational age (GA) influenced the association between drugs and SNHL. The results underlined how the total exposure to antibiotics is significantly associated with SNHL, even after GA correction. In conclusion, GA, birth weight and, above all, the length and complexity of NICU stay quantify the risk of SNHL and should be considered at the individual level for parent counseling.