Analysis of neonatal hearing screening coverage by State in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES

Analyze the evolution of Neonatal Hearing Screening coverage in Brazil, by region and state, over the 12-years following the publication of the Neonatal Hearing Screening Care Guidelines in 2012, aiming to identify trends and the current situation.

METHODS

The study was based on national data from public health care system notifications collected between 2012 and 2023. Segmental regression models were applied to identify changes in temporal trends.

RESULTS

Neonatal Hearing Screening coverage increased from 25.93% in 2012 to 34.43% in 2018 but dropped to 26.39% in 2023. Paradoxically proportion of screenings conducted with Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential doubled from 2012 to 2023. The South region had the highest average coverage (62.52%), while the North region showed the lowest performance (11.91%). The highest rate in 2023 were 83.19% in the Federal District. These results are limited by the secondary data source from public health and may be affected by underreporting and exclusion of private sector.

CONCLUSION

Neonatal Hearing Screening coverage in Brazil remains critically unsatisfactory and falls short of the 95% target. The significant decline after 2018 calls for detailed investigation and urgent intervention to reverse this trend.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 - Cross-sectional study.