Relationship between risk factors of hearing loss and the results of otoacoustic emission in newborns

Objective: Congenital hearing loss is a disabling and multi-factorial disease that affects on newborn and children. This study aims to demonstrate the relationship between risk factors for hearing loss and the results of Otoacoustic emission in Iranian newborns. Methods: We have retrospectively considered 536 newborns admitted to the Audiology Department of a Children's Hospital in the north of Iran. Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAEs) was recorded during the first week of birth, and the risk factors of hearing loss were collected. Results: We found that parent relatives and family history were significantly correlated with OAEs refer results. Moreover, hyper-bilirubinemia indicated a significant correlation only with first right OAEs. There was a significant correlation between gender and first left and right OAEs. Other risk factors such as seizure, transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN) and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and lip cleft had a significant correlation with first left and right OAEs results; however, these correlations were not relatively highlighted. Conclusions: Generally, our data confirm that hearing screening is an absolute necessity in the greater number of newborns. People who got consanguineous marriages should be aware of high incidence of the congenital hearing loss due to parent relatives and family history.