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Background: In many countries, neonatal hearing screening programs (NHS) have been available for many years, however, because of the presence of hearing loss at late onset, early hearing detection programs (EHDP) have been implemented. The aim of this study was to evaluate all cases of infantile hearing loss under the care of two different provinces of a regional health service since the introduction of NHS. Methods: Clinical data (the presence of audiological risk factors, age at which children are placed under the care of health service, entity of hearing loss, treatment, and exposure to bilingualism) were retrospectively collected during the period from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2018, starting from the IT management system used in all of the regional neuropsychiatric services. Results: In total, 124 children were included—116 cases failed the screening, 1 case had an untraceable result, and 7 cases (5.6%) had hearing screening that passed. Most of the children were placed under the care of a neuropsychiatric infantile and adolescence (NPIA) service within the first year of life. The main differences across the two provinces concerned the percentages of audiological risk factors and the number of unilateral hearing loss cases. Conclusion: In order to plan and manage hearing rehabilitation programs for children in the best way, it is very important to know the local clinical-epidemiological features of the population.

The course of COVID-19 infection may be complicated by a variety of neurological manifestations. Since the inner ear is vulnerable to viruses, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) has been reported to occur following the SARS-CoV-2 infection, often resulting in long-term morbidity and worsening the quality of life. The interest in how the virus affects the inner ear has gradually increased since the pandemic’s spread, but little is still known about the SNHL potentially caused by SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the possible association between SNHL and COVID-19 infection, through a systematic literature review. Currently available data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may hamper cochlear function; however, available reports are still limited. Large cohort and prospective studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term effects of this viral infection in the inner ear.

Hearing loss is one of the most common congenital sensory disorders. It can be associated with several comorbidities, in particular developmental disabilities (DD). In Emilia-Romagna (ER), a region in Northern Italy, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide the diagnostic framework and treatment for these conditions. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the prevalence of hearing loss, both isolated or in association with comorbidities, in the juvenile population. The study draws its data from the ER Childhood and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Information System (SINPIAER), an Administrative Healthcare Database collecting the clinical data of all those who have attended CAMHS since 2010. The most frequent type of hearing loss was bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, which was present in 69–72% of the cases, while bilateral conductive hearing loss was the second most common type, ranging from 8 to 10%. Among DD, congenital malformations, mental retardation, visual impairment, and cerebral palsy were the most common. In particular, autism spectrum disorders show increasing incidence and prevalence among CAMHS users in ER region. In-depth knowledge of hearing loss epidemiology and related conditions, such as developmental disabilities, in the juvenile population is crucial for disease prevention, health planning, and resource allocation.