Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia as a risk factor for hearing loss

Abstract

© 2017, Scientific Publishers of India. All rights reserved.Objective: The Objective is to analyse newborn hyperbilirubinemia as risk factor for hearing loss in children born in the Hospital of Insular Maternal and Child University Hospital Complex, between 2007 and 2013. Materials and methods: Retrospective study of 796 new-borns with hyperbilirubinemia at birth, by transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions and brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Results: 185 new-borns (23.24%) were referred for brainstem auditory evoked potentials. 35 new-borns (4.39%) were diagnosed with hearing loss: 18 (51.43%) with conductive hearing loss and 17 (48.57%) with sensorineural hearing loss, 3 of which were diagnosed bilateral profound hearing loss. Half of the children had other risk factors associated, the most frequent being exposure to ototoxics. Conclusion: The percentage of children diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss who suffered hyperbilirubinemia at birth is higher than for the general population. Of those diagnosed none had levels of indirect bilirubin ≥ 20 mg/dl, only 47% had hyperbilirubinemia at birth as a risk factor and 53% had another auditory risk factor associated.