Hearing Loss Screening in High Risk Newborns in Nakhonpathom Hospital

Abstract

Screening for hearing loss in high risk newborns had been studied in Nakhonpathom hospital from April, 1997 to Dec, 1997. By using acoustic tympanometry and ABR (audiotory brainstem response) to screen hearing loss. These high risk newborns including newborns who had sepsis or meningitis with, using ototoxic drug, high hyperbilirubinemia, severe birth asphyxia and craniofacial anomaly. This study found that hearing loss occured in newborns who had sepsis or meningitis with using ototoxic drug for 11.20%, high hyperbilirubinemia for14%, severe birth asphyxia for 16.80% and craniofacial anomaly for 22.40%. So we suggest that hearing loss screening in high risk newborns are necessary to be done. By using ENT equipment which had been already estabished in general hospital and with little adaptation of our equipment for using in newborns. So we can use our equipment to screen our high risk newborns for hearing loss.