Have newborn hearing screening programs been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Abstract

Introduction Due to the vital importance of early diagnosis and intervention of congenital hearing loss, the aim of this study was to compare the rate of newborn hearing screening before and after the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine. Materials and methods In this study, the data related to 6144 newborns during two 18-month time periods before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, was analyzed. Results From all visited newborns, 3770 and 2374 referred to the centre before and after the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the results of screening and the referral rate of neonates before and after the pandemic (p = 0.00). The results showed that both the residents of urban and rural regions visited for newborn hearing screening less frequently after the onset of the pandemic, but no statistically significant difference was shown between the number of boys and girls before and after the pandemic (p = 0.72). Conclusion Our results help gain new insights regarding the impacts of disruptive events such as pandemics on the implementation of health screening programs. Boosting public knowledge by providing families with proper education appears to be helpful in preventing the negative effects of delayed implementation of health screening programs.

Relationship between Hearing Loss Risk Factors and Hearing Screening Results in Newborns: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, the rate in the current study was lower than a study that was similarly conducted in Ahvaz in 2021 and reported a rate of 4.36. This discrepancy may be because this study was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the implementation of newborn hearing screening programs [24].…”

“…The findings indicated that the probability of passing results in newborns without NICU admission was two times greater than in those with NICU admission. Other studies also found that NICU hospitalization for more than 5 days could be a risk factor for hearing loss [24][25][26]. Hearing loss caused by staying in NICU could be due to mechanical ventilation for asphyxia and respiratory distress of newborns in the NICU that adversely damages the peripheral auditory system function [2,26].…”