Objective: This study aimed to determine hearing screen outcomes and identify clinical and environmental risk factors for hearing screen failure in very preterm infants at a level IV single-family room (SFR) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Study design: We conducted a retrospective study of infants <33 weeks gestational age admitted to a level IV SFR NICU who survived to discharge and had automated auditory brainstem response results available. Demographics, antenatal and postnatal factors, and respiratory support modes and their duration were collected from the electronic medical record.
Results: Of 425 eligible infants with documented hearing screen results, 353 (83%) passed and 72 (17%) failed the hearing screen (unilateral, N = 44 [61%]; bilateral, N = 28 [39%]). Compared to infants who passed the hearing screen, infants with hearing screen failure were lower gestational age and birth weight, male sex, were screened at later postnatal and postmenstrual ages (PMAs), had lower 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores, longer duration of furosemide therapy, early hypotension, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) ≥Grade 3, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks PMA. Infants with hearing screen failure experienced longer exposures to invasive and noninvasive respiratory support. Heated, humidified, high flow nasal cannula >2 liters per minute exposure was significantly longer in infants with bilateral hearing screen failure (18.4 ± 18.4 d) compared to duration in infants who passed (7.4 ± 12.8 d) and those with unilateral failure (9 ± 13 d), (mean ± standard deviation [SD], p < 0.001). In the final logistic model, IVH ≥Grade 3 (odds ratio [OR] = 3.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-8.98, p = 0.026) and BPD (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.25-4.11, p = 0.007) were the factors with the greatest risk for hearing screen failure.
Conclusion: We speculate that the association of BPD with hearing screen failure may be mediated, in part, by chronic noise exposure, including from respiratory support devices. Attention to hearing protection in at-risk infants during respiratory support may mitigate the risk of hearing loss.
Key points: · NICU noise often exceeds recommended sound levels.. · Seventeen percent of infants with <33 weeks GA in SFR NICU failed hearing screenings.. · BPD and IVH are risk factors for hearing screen failure.. · Respiratory devices contribute to increased NICU noise.. · hearing protection should be considered during respiratory support..
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