Incidence and Risk Factors of Hearing Impairment in Full-Term Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Graduates: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study From Central India.

BACKGROUND

Early hearing screening of full‑term neonates discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is essential to enable timely interventions that support optimal language and cognitive development. Despite their potential vulnerability, this population has received limited attention compared with preterm infants, underscoring the need to establish the incidence of hearing impairment and identify key maternal and neonatal risk factors. The primary objective of this study was to determine the incidence of hearing impairment among full-term neonates discharged from the NICU. The secondary objective was to assess the association of various maternal and neonatal risk factors with the occurrence of hearing loss.

METHODS

This prospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, India, from September 2022 to March 2024. A total of 229 full-term NICU graduates were enrolled using predefined inclusion criteria. Hearing screening was conducted using distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) as the initial and repeat test, followed by brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) for neonates who failed the second DPOAE. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), employing descriptive statistics and the chi-square/Fisher's exact test for associations.

RESULTS

Of the 229 neonates screened, three were found to have confirmed hearing impairment based on BERA, yielding an incidence of 13 per 1,000 NICU graduates. Significant associations were noted between hearing impairment and risk factors such as meningitis (p=0.0262), hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (p=0.0044), bilirubin encephalopathy (p=0.022), oligohydroaminos (p=0.0001), and ototoxic medication use (>5 days) (p=0.049).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the study highlights that full-term NICU graduates are at risk for hearing impairment and require the need for routine and comprehensive auditory screening. Early detection enables timely intervention, thereby reducing long-term disability.