Parent educational materials regarding the newborn hearing screening process

Predictors of Parental Recall of Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Saudi Arabia

Hearing impairment is a prevalent disabling condition among children; all newborns should undergo a universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS). Unfortunately, many newborns who fail the screening test are lost to follow-up. Our study aims to evaluate parents' perceptions of UNHS and to identify predictors for newborn hearing screening recall in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study involving Saudi parents with 0-to-18-year-old children born in Saudi Arabia was conducted. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to describe the participants' characteristics and to identify UNHS recall predictors. A total of 1533 parents were surveyed. Overall, 29.9% of them recalled a hearing screening at birth, while 22.2% reported no hearing screening, and 47.8% were unable to remember. Only (6.9%) participants reported a failed hearing screening, of which 75.9% recalled a follow-up recommendation. Females, parents aged 30-34 years, consanguineous parents, and parents of newborns who were treated with antibiotics were more likely to recall hearing screening compared to others. This study highlights inadequate awareness of UNHS among parents. Our findings support the need to improve the reporting system of UNHS results and implement educational programs to increase parents' recall of hearing test results and ensure early follow-ups for neonates with failed test results.

Parent’s Satisfaction of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program in Iran

Measuring parent satisfaction is an important factor in pediatric health care service programs because parents play a major role in their child's life. The parental decisions are a basis for the success or failure of the child's treatment in many cases. The purpose of this study was to determine levels of parents' satisfaction following the implementation of universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program in Iran. In this study, the Persain version of the parent satisfaction questionnaire with neonatal hearing screening program (PSQ-NHSP) was used to measure parents' satisfaction on information of newborn hearing screening program, personnel in charge of the hearing testing, hearing screening activities, and overall satisfaction. Newborns were screened using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and automatic auditory brainstem response tests within the first 48 h of life for each ear. Of the 312 questionnaires distributed, 217 parents (67%) responded. The mean scores of the "overall satisfaction" items ranged from 4.07 to 4.29, demonstrating high levels of parent satisfaction with this aspect of the program. More than 86% of parents were overally satisfied with the hearing screening program. In open-ended items, 84% of parents comments showed their satisfaction. The findings of the present study revealed that parents were generally satisfied with the UNHS program. The PSQ-NHSP questionnaire is easily employed and effective method for assessing parental satisfaction with newborn hearing screening programs.

Newborn Hearing Screening: Early Education = More Satisfied Mothers

Newborn hearing screening (NBHS) has become the norm in all states in the United States. However, parents receive limited information about it, usually at the hospital, and have low awareness about the process. Yet parents and professionals agree that communication about the NBHS process should begin before childbirth (Arnold et al., 2006). Having information about the screening process, simply by being present for the screening and knowing the results, has been shown to positively affect parental attitudes toward NBHS (Weichbold, Welzl-Mueller, & Mussbacher, 2001). Purpose The aim of this study was to assess whether providing expectant mothers with information related to the NBHS process in the 3rd trimester will increase their satisfaction with the NBHS program. Method Partnering with a local obstetrician, expectant mothers were provided with information regarding NBHS. A modified version of the Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire with Neonatal Hearing Screening Program (Mazlan, Hickson, & Driscoll, 2006) was administered to mothers who received information and mothers who did not receive any education. Results Quantitative results indicate significantly increased satisfaction with the NBHS program when early education was received. Qualitative comments from participants support the quantitative findings. Conclusion Results suggest that educating obstetricians and their nurses about NBHS and having them provide information to expectant mothers, as well as having mothers present for the screening, may increase parental satisfaction and therefore benefit early hearing detection and intervention programs.