Long-term follow-up of otitis media with effusion in neonatal hearing screening.

OBJECTIVES

Increased neonatal referral rate of conductive hearing loss (CHL) related to otitis media with effusion (OME) following universal neonatal hearing screening (UNHS) may cause an unnecessary clinical, emotional, and financial burden. This study analyzes the long-term, audiological, and medical characteristics of CHL associated with OME in neonates in order to establish a standardized protocol following technology-driven improvements in detection and referral rates in UNHS.

METHODS

A retrospective study of all neonates with OME-related CHL referred to the University Hospital of Leuven (Belgium) after failing UNHS with the MAICO devices between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2021 was performed. Follow-up consultations, auditory tests, referral side, birth month, hearing loss degree, underlying pathologies and risk factors, time to normalization, and need for ventilation tubes were assessed.

RESULTS

The incidence of CHL related to OME was stable between 2013 and 2021. Of all referred infants with OME, 52.3 % demonstrated spontaneous recovery. The average time to hearing normalization was significantly longer in children with underlying congenital pathologies compared to those without. Moreover, 74.4 % of these children received ventilation tubes compared to 32.0 % of children without underlying pathologies. No correlation was found between the incidence of OME-related CHL with either a hearing loss degree, admission to neonatal intensive care, or history of a nasogastric feeding tube.

CONCLUSIONS

In children who failed UNHS due to OME, hearing recovers spontaneously without surgical intervention in 2/3 of the infants without underlying conditions within one year. In children with underlying congenital disorders, the time to hearing recovery is longer and the risk for surgical intervention is higher, underlining the need for implementing a UNHS standardized protocol.