Early Hearing Diagnosis And Intervention Programs For Infants With Congenital Hearing Loss And Its Following-up Strategy

Objective To study the incidence and high-risk factors for infants with congenital hearing loss from well-baby nursery (WBN) and newborn intensive care unit (NICU). To explore the scientific and feasible strategy of early diagnosis, following-up and early intervention.Methods Performed the two-stage universal newborn hearing screening(UNHS) by using transient otoacoustic emission(TEOAE). Those who failed the second stage screening received auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and 40Hz auditory evoked response potentials (40Hz-AERPs) as the diagnosis tests atthree-month after birth. Infants who had either abnormal ABRs or high-risk factors of hearing loss received following-up and routine auditory evaluation from six-month to three-year old. Infants with permanent hearing loss had been provided with personalized intervention in six-month after birth.Results A total incidence of congenital hearing loss in infants who received universal newborn hearing screening(UNHS) was 5.73%o,and 3.67% for WBN and 20.02% for NICU. The high-risk factors of hearing loss were different in WBN and NICU. The high-risk factors were craniofacial anomalies and family history of permanent hearing loss in WBN and prematurity, asphysia and very low birth-weight in NICU. 88 infants received following-up and 13 cases(18 ears) of them showed normal hearing function during the following-up period. 75 infants were proved to be permanent hearing loss after 3-year's following-up. 91 infants were diagnosed with congenital hearing loss .6 infants were fitted with hearing aids at the age of 11.8-month after birth in average. One infant received cochlea implant. The rate of early intervention was 41.2%.Conclusion It is showed that infants with high-risk factors or history of NICU should also be given diagnosis tests. And, following-up targeted population should include infants with either abnormal ABRs or high-risk factors of hearing loss. The test of ABR and auditory behavior and auditory impendence is combined each other to make sure the results of following-up evaluation reliability and accuracy. Following-up and early intervention is carried on personalized.