title: Analysis of neonatal hearing screening program performed on an outpatient basis: Analysis of an outpatient hearing screening program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of the present study were to analyze the coverage of an outpatient hearing screening program in a public hospital for healthy newborns, to describe the social and demographic profile of the mothers and to identify the prevalence of infants with severe or profound hearing losses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The method was descriptive and retrospective. In 2002 and 2003, the newborn hearing screening program was initiated in the maternity ward. Due to many logistic problems, in 2004, we implemented screening on an outpatient basis. Thus, upon discharge from the hospital, the mothers received a printed schedule referring the baby to an outpatient clinic. A two-stage screening protocol was implemented. The screening results were presented from 2004 to 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The program was initiated on an outpatient basis in 2004. From 2004 to 2013, 14,882 infants were screened but the complete data for 14,205 cases were obtained. The adherence of the families was 32% in 2004 and increased to 85% in 2013. The mean age of the screened newborns was 48.66 days in 2005 and 24.53 days in 2013. The number of newborns who failed the test and were referred for diagnosis decreased from 12.3% in 2004 to 3% in 2013. The majority of the mothers were young, 69.77% of them aged up to 29 years old and 74.86% had completed basic education. Seventy infants showed hearing loss, totaling 0.49% or approximately 5 cases in 1000, with eight individuals diagnosed with severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss, totaling 0.06% or approximately six cases in 10,000.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The newborn hearing screening program offered by a public hospital in Brazil, over the years, has increased the coverage from 32% to 85%, and so, can be performed on an outpatient basis as an alternative to overcome the operating limitations that might occur in hospital hearing screening. The mothers of the newborns were young and had complete basic education; the prevalence was similar to international studies as hearing loss is concerned.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Rehabilitation, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: ceclima@fcm.unicamp.br.
authors.forename: Maria Cecília Marconi Pinheiro
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Rehabilitation, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: tr@fcm.unicamp.br.
authors.forename: Tereza Ribeiro de Freitas
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Rehabilitation, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: mfcf@fcm.unicamp.br.
authors.forename: Maria de Fátima de Campos
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Françozo
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Rehabilitation, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: mfcolella@fcm.unicamp.br.
authors.forename: Maria Francisca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Collela-Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: ccorrea@fcm.unicamp.br.
authors.forename: Carlos Roberto
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Correa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000639:trends; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Early detection; Hearing; Hearing loss; Infant; Newborn; Screening