Abstract

OBJECTIVE

The patients hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units are under risk for developmental delay. In our study we aimed to evaulate the frequency of hearing loss in neonates with high risk

METHODS

In our study 7067 noenates who were followed-up in neonatology clinic between January 2005 to December 2007 were included in this study. The otoacoustic emission and auditory brain stem potential (BERA) tests were performed to evaulate and screen the hearing loss.

RESULTS

RESULTS: Totally 277 neonates (4%) were detected to have hearing loss and referred to a higher level hospital for further investigations. During the period of 2005 to 2006, confirmed hearing loss rate was found to be 0.91%, and 0.96% in 2007. The most prominent risk factor for hearing loss was exchange tranfussion requiring hyperbilirubinemia (45.8%).

CONCLUSION

Hearing loss was found to be common in high risk patients; so screening shoud be performed in all patients to detect the patients with hearing loss.