Risk factors associated with hearing loss in neonates.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the risk factors associated with hearing loss in our neonatal patient population and compare them to the ones listed by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing.


METHODS
The medical records of 50 consecutive infants with hearing impairment by auditory brainstem response (ABR) audiometry were reviewed retrospectively and were compared with the records of 50 randomly selected newborns that had normal hearing.


RESULTS
In our review, only five of 18 variables were found to be associated with hearing impairment. These are: hyperbilirubinemia, craniofacial anomalies (CFA), length of stay in the intensive care unit, respiratory distress syndrome, and retrolental fibroplasia. The last three variables are not listed in the high-risk register published by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study provide for additional risk factors that may be used in infant-hearing screening programs.
Kountakis
S E
SE
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas-Houston Medical School 77030, USA.
Psifidis
A
A
Chang
C J
CJ
Stiernberg
C M
CM
D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors