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Current Insights into Newborn Hearing Screening: A Prospective Observational Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India |
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Prakash Chandra Joshi, Bindiya Verma, Niranjan Kumar Singh, Sachin Verma 1. Resident, Department of Paediatrics, Vivekananda Polyclinic and Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. 2. Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Integral Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. 3. Senior Consultant, Department of Paediatrics, Health City Vistar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. 4. Senior Consultant, Department of Paediatrics, Vivekananda Polyclinic and Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. |
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Correspondence Address : Dr. Sachin Verma, Department of Paediatrics, Vivekananda Polyclinic and Institute of Medical Sciences, Nirala Nagar, Lucknow-226007, Uttar Pradesh, India. E-mail: drsachinverma99@gmail.com |
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| ABSTRACT |  | ||||||
: Introduction: Hearing impairment is one of the most common congenital disorders and can significantly affect speech, language, and cognitive development if not identified early. Universal newborn hearing screening plays a vital role in early diagnosis and intervention. However, data on neonatal hearing loss from developing countries, including India, remain limited. Aim: To determine the prevalence of screen positive hearing impairment among neonates attending a tertiary care hospital using Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) and its association with demographic variables and risk indicators. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Northern India from September 2023 to August 2025. A total of 404 neonates were screened using a two-stage AABR protocol. Neonates who failed or had an aborted first-stage AABR underwent second-stage AABR screening. Those who failed the second stage were referred for diagnostic Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry (BERA) at three months of age. Chi-square test was used to determine the association between different factors and outcomes. Results: Of the 404 neonates screened, AABR testing was aborted in 2 (0.5%), 62 (15.35%) failed, and 340 (84.15%) passed the first-stage screening. Of the 64 neonates who failed or had aborted tests, 37 underwent second-stage screening. Only 3 (8.11%) passed the second- stage AABR, while 34 (91.89%) failed. Overall, hearing impairment was detected in 34 neonates by two-stage screening, giving a prevalence of 8.42%, while the prevalence of confirmed hearing impairment was 0.74% (3/404). The association between neonatal morbidity and hearing abnormalities was highly significant (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of screen positive hearing impairment observed in this study (8.42%) was higher than that reported in Western literature but comparable to that in recent Indian studies. Poor follow-up compliance remains a major challenge in implementing universal newborn hearing screening programs. Strengthening follow-up mechanisms and ensuring early intervention for screen-positive neonates are essential to reduce the burden of childhood hearing loss. | |||||||
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| Keywords : Automated auditory brainstem response, Brainstem evoked response audiometry, Hearing impairment, Neonatal screening | |||||||
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DOI and Others :
DOI: 10.7860/IJNMR/2026/87327.2473
Date of Submission: Jan 09, 2026 Date of Peer Review: Feb 06, 2026 Date of Acceptance: Mar 25, 2026 Date of Publishing: Jun 30, 2026 AUTHOR DECLARATION: • Financial or Other Competing Interests: None • Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? Yes • Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? Yes • For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS: • Plagiarism X-checker: Jan 14, 2026 • Manual Googling: Mar 19, 2026 • iThenticate Software: Mar 24, 2026 (1%) ETYMOLOGY: Author Origin EMENDATIONS: 8 |
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