Incidence and Associated Factors of Hearing disorder in Newborns at Sichon Hospital Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

          Background: Neonatal congenital hearing disorders can be affected the development of language, speech and other aspects of children both present and in the future. Therefore, the study of incidence and factors associated with the occurrence of hearing impairment will be able to develop a method for finding such anomalies and can help the baby at the beginning.  

          Objective: To study incidence and factors associated with the occurrence of hearing disorder in newborns at Sichon Hospital, Nakhon Si Thammarat

          Methods: A retrospective study design were adopted for this study. Data were recruited from the medical records of all newborns who were born in Sichon Hospital from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019, a total of 1,952 cases. Data collection is recorded by using the record form of hearing screening test for newborn babies in Sichon Hospital, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and chi-square.

          Results: Most of the babies (50.2%) were male (50.2%), born NL (48.8%), and the majority were normal (88.3%) with an Apgar Score at minutes 1, 5 and 10 of 8-10. (97.9%, 99.8% and 100%). Data showed the mean gestational age of babies around 38 ± 1.5 weeks birth weight approximately 3,063± 468.5 gm (Min = 1,110, Max = 5,480). The incidence of hearing disorder among newborns was 6.66 per 1,000 live births, 4.6 per 1,000 in normal infants and 22.1 per 1,000 among at risk infants. The top 3 most common hearing disorder factors were 195 cases who spent more than 5 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, 126 cases were received gentamycin ear antibiotics and 12 cases of newborn had family member history about congenital hearing disorder. Additionally, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score at 1^st minute and a group of infants were significantly associated with newborn hearing impairment at level 0.05.

          Conclusion: The incidence of hearing disorders in risk infants was higher than normal infants. Therefore, screening for all newborn infants should be aware of the hearing disorder, especially, babies born prematurely, low birth weight, and with hypoxia at birth.