The potential risk factors and the identification of hearing loss in infants

To identify potential risk factors for hearing loss from the infant with high risk criteria as guided by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH, 2000). 490 infants with age range of 2 days to 6 months who had undergone detailed audiological evaluation during for the period of 3 years at Gauhati Medical College Hospital were taken for the study. The hearing screening was performed on each infant using Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) testing. The infants who failed DPOAEs screening were followed up and Auditory Brainstem Response testing. Out of 490 high risk infants who had undergone detailed audiological evaluation 145 infants were found to be having hearing loss. Out of 145 infants 73 infants were male and 72 infants were female. The risk factor for hearing loss with the highest incidence was hyperbilirubenemia, Apgar scores of 0-4 at 1 min or 0-6 at 5 min was the second most prevalent risk factor, followed by TORCH infections. This study suggests the need for review of high risk register that is used along with the physiological and electrophysiological hearing test to screen the infants. The high risk register remains helpful in determining follow up plans so that children who may develop late onset of hearing loss will not be missed. Being aware of which risk factors are more likely to cause hearing loss in infants would be helpful to plan for follow up these children.