Middle ear effusion and newborn hearing screening.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2023;
280:643-649. [PMID:
35838783 DOI:
10.1007/s00405-022-07524-2]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE
Middle ear effusion (MEE) is one of the reasons for screening failure and may require prolonged follow-up due to conductive hearing loss. We aimed to examine at 1-year follow-up, the fate of MEE.
METHODS
From medical charts, computerized data were collected retrospectively of newborns born in the years 2012-2013 in Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa city, Israel, who failed the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS), and follow-up hearing evaluation data were extracted.
RESULTS
Of 9527 newborns born in 2012-2013 in our institution, 144 [1.5%] failed the UNHS, and 46 were eventually diagnosed with conductive hearing loss caused by MEE. Spontaneous MEE clearance was recorded in 12 [26%], while 26 [57%] patients had persistent effusion that required further follow-up (10 [22%] required insertion of ventilation tubes and 16 [35%] were referred for further follow-up); 8 [17%] were lost to follow-up.
CONCLUSION
Congenital MEE causing conductive hearing loss and UNHS failure is persistent and resolves at lower rates than non-congenital MEE.
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