The Impact of COVID-19 on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

Gallus, Roberto; Melis, Andrea; Luca, Laura Maria De; Rizzo, Davide; Palmas, Sara; Degni, Emilia; Piras, Antonio; Bussu, Francesco

doi:10.1097/aud.0000000000001255

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…We also find no difference in rates of follow-up for pre-pandemic versus pandemic-era newborns; comparable results were obtained in a study performed in Italy. 17 We find that the times to follow-up in the CHW intervention group versus non-intervention group were not significantly different. A potential explanation for this nondifference is the fact that CHWs helped families reschedule appointments when they could not attend on their original scheduled date.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…Notably, we aimed to address disparities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has complicated follow-up screening in other countries. 17,18 In this study, we evaluate adherence to follow-up screening for families receiving an innovative CHW intervention versus families not receiving intervention; we aim to demonstrate that similar CHW interventions may be implemented more broadly across healthcare systems in the context of UNHS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Community Health Worker Intervention for Newborns Not Passing Initial Universal Hearing Screening

Leong,

Medina,

Peretz

et al. 2023

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol

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Background: Universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) is effective in identifying newborns with possible hearing loss (HL). Outpatient follow-up for newborns referred after hospital-based screening remains a potential area of improvement. In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of a community health worker (CHW) intervention in promoting adherence to outpatient rescreening for newborns referred after initial UNHS. Methods: A mixed prospective-retrospective cohort study was performed to evaluate a CHW intervention at an academic medical center. Caregivers of referred newborns were contacted by CHWs prior to discharge and educated about HL and the importance of follow-up screening. The CHW outreach intervention was performed for 297 referred newborns between May 2020 and June 2021 and compared to a cohort of 238 newborns without the CHW intervention between March 2019 and June 2021. Statistical analyses were conducted using 2 × 2 Chi-square tests, two-tailed unpaired t-tests, multinomial logistic regression, and multiple linear regression. Results: In the intervention group, 236 of 297 newborns (79.5%) completed their outpatient follow-up rescreening; in the comparison group, 170 of 238 newborns (71.4%) completed their follow-up rescreening ( P = .031, OR = 1.55 with regression P = .04). In the intervention group, the average time to follow-up was 13.4 days versus 12.5 days for the comparison group ( P = .449, multiple R2 = .02 with P = .78). Conclusions: CHW outreach intervention may increase adherence to outpatient follow-up rescreening for newborns referred after initial, hospital-based UNHS. Expansion of nursery teams to include CHWs may thus improve completion of recommended follow-up hearing screens.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Health Worker Intervention for Newborns Not Passing Initial Universal Hearing Screening

Leong,

Medina,

Peretz

et al. 2023

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol

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“…A study by Gallus et al 10 demonstrated that despite hospital-imposed rules for patients and visitors, their screening program was not significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is demonstrated by observing the time to retest after the initial failed NBHS and loss to follow-up between 2 groups of children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program of Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Sassari implemented counseling after the initial NBHS and a proactive recall policy to minimize lost to follow-up. 10 Greczka et al 11 published a study from Poland describing innovative strategies for early diagnosis and treatment of children with hearing impairment. About 85.6% of Poland's hospitals that performed NBHS saw an increase in the number of children that failed initial NBHS and reported for a diagnostic follow-up test.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neonatal Hearing Screening: Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic

Rockwell

Güngör

Reto

et al. 2023

Clin Pediatr (Phila)

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This is a retrospective chart review of newborns referred to audiology between June and December 2020. Newborns who failed or did not have an initial newborn hearing screening (NBHS) at an academic, tertiary care medical center, either in the nursery or in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) prior to discharge, were referred for a follow-up audiology appointment. Forty-three patients were included who failed or did not receive an NBHS. Of 43 patients, 15 (34.9%) did not receive an initial hearing test due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 protocols). Of the 15, 7 (16.3% of total 43) newborns had mothers who refused COVID-19 screening, and 5/7 were lost to follow-up (11.6% of total). Another 7/15 newborns (16.3% of total) had a COVID-19-positive mother, and 1 of these 7 was lost to follow-up (2.3% of total). One of the 15 newborns (2.3% of total) had a pending maternal COVID-19 test result at discharge, and this patient was also lost to follow-up.

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Monitoring of Auditory Function in Newborns of Women Infected by SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy

et al. 2023

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Background: Gestational SARS-CoV-2 infection can impact maternal and neonatal health. The virus has also been reported to cause newborn sensorineural hearing loss, but its consequences for the auditory system are not fully understood. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on newborn’ hearing function during the first year of life. Methods: An observational study was conducted from 1 November 2020 to 30 November 2021 at University Modena Hospital. All newborns whose mother had been infected by SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy were enrolled and underwent audiological evaluation at birth and at 1 year of age. Results: A total of 119 neonates were born from mothers infected by SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy. At birth, five newborns (4.2%) presented an increased threshold of ABR (Auditory Brainstem Evoked Response), but the results were confirmed only in 1.6% of cases, when repeated 1 month later, while the ABR thresholds in all other children returned to normal limits. At the 1-year follow-up, no cases of moderate or severe hearing loss were observed, while concomitant disorders of the middle ear were frequently observed. Conclusions: Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of the trimester in which it was contracted, appears not to induce moderate or severe hearing loss in infants. It is important to clarify the possible effect of the virus on late-onset hearing loss and future research is needed.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

Cited by 4 publications

References 10 publications

Community Health Worker Intervention for Newborns Not Passing Initial Universal Hearing Screening

Community Health Worker Intervention for Newborns Not Passing Initial Universal Hearing Screening

Neonatal Hearing Screening: Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic

Monitoring of Auditory Function in Newborns of Women Infected by SARS-CoV-2 during Pregnancy

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