OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to detect permanent hearing loss in a universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program that included 200 normal ("well baby") newborn children and 15 children at high risk for hearing loss at Ahmadi Hospital in Kuwait. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Distortion product oto-acoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were conducted in the ward on newborns at the age of 2 days. Newborns who did not pass the DPOAE the second time (at the age of 1 month) were evaluated by a brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) test within the age of 3 months. If the infant failed the BERA test, the test was repeated at the age of 6 months to confirm any permanent hearing loss. RESULTS: The peak latencies and interpeak intervals of BERA were established for newborns (5-90 days) at our clinic (ms), I: 1.58 + 0.11, III: 4.16 + 0.22, V: 6.70 + 0.24, I-III: 2.57 + 0.19, III-V: 2.59 + 0.24, I-V: 5.12 + 0.26. The incidence of permanent hearing loss was different across nursery levels. In the "well baby" group, 1% had profound sensorineural hearing loss, 1% had severe (70 dBnHL) sensorineural hearing loss, and 98% had normal hearing level. In the "high-risk" group, 26.67% had profound sensorineural hearing loss, 20% had moderate (60 dBnHL) sensorineural hearing loss, and 53.33% had normal hearing level. CONCLUSIONS: The newborn hearing screening program revealed that hearing loss in the "well baby" group is 2%, while in the "high risk" group it is 46.67%. The results warrant the establishment of UNHS programs in Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East to detect permanent hearing loss very early in life and provide appropriate medical treatment.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to detect permanent hearing loss in a universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program that included 200 normal ("well baby") newborn children and 15 children at high risk for hearing loss at Ahmadi Hospital in Kuwait. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Distortion product oto-acoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were conducted in the ward on newborns at the age of 2 days. Newborns who did not pass the DPOAE the second time (at the age of 1 month) were evaluated by a brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) test within the age of 3 months. If the infant failed the BERA test, the test was repeated at the age of 6 months to confirm any permanent hearing loss. RESULTS: The peak latencies and interpeak intervals of BERA were established for newborns (5-90 days) at our clinic (ms), I: 1.58 + 0.11, III: 4.16 + 0.22, V: 6.70 + 0.24, I-III: 2.57 + 0.19, III-V: 2.59 + 0.24, I-V: 5.12 + 0.26. The incidence of permanent hearing loss was different across nursery levels. In the "well baby" group, 1% had profound sensorineural hearing loss, 1% had severe (70 dBnHL) sensorineural hearing loss, and 98% had normal hearing level. In the "high-risk" group, 26.67% had profound sensorineural hearing loss, 20% had moderate (60 dBnHL) sensorineural hearing loss, and 53.33% had normal hearing level. CONCLUSIONS: The newborn hearing screening program revealed that hearing loss in the "well baby" group is 2%, while in the "high risk" group it is 46.67%. The results warrant the establishment of UNHS programs in Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East to detect permanent hearing loss very early in life and provide appropriate medical treatment.