DEVELOPMENT OF HEARING IN INFANTS FROM NICU AND INTERMEDIATE CARE WARDS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Background: Unidentified hearing loss at birth can badly affect the linguistic, social, and educational development of children. National and international committees on infant hearing emphasize the importance of early identification of hearing loss, with follow-up and early intervention. The aim of this study was to analyze data on hearing development from a program following up exits from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and from neonatal intermediate care wards in Prof. Dr. Jose Aristodemo Pinotti Womens Hospital in the Brazilian State of Sao Paulo. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study based on records from a follow-up program. Data came from records collected from 2012 to 2015 on 88 subjects, and included the results of behavioral hearing tests, visual reinforcement audiometry and tympanometry. The data were descriptively and statistically analyzed. Results: Changes in the development of hearing abilities over the first two years of life in children that stayed at the NICU or the intermediate care ward for more than 48 hours were significant. However, late-onset or progressive hearing losses were not observed. There was no correlation between hearing development and specific risk indicators or with tympanometry. Conclusions: For the analyzed program, progressive or late-onset losses were not found, but there were major delays in the development of hearing abilities in the first two years of life for children from NICU and neonatal intermediate care wards.