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Background and Aim: Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) are a validated technique in newborn hearing screening that is regularly used in many countries. It reflects normal hearing or at least no more than 30 dB HL hearing loss. Breastfeeding has many advantages and some studies have demonstrated that it prevents otitis media by means of opening the Eustachian tube and clearing mucus in the middle ear which is perhaps also combined with immunological effects. A few studies have related how newborn feeding can vary the pass rate to TEOAE. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between newborn feeding and TEOAE newborn hearing screening results., Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from healthy vaginally delivered newborns of gestational age >37 weeks and body weight > 2.5 kg at the maternity ward. Newborn feeding history was compared with the pass rate to TEOAE performed within the 1 st 48 h of life., Results: The study group included 12,866 newborns. In this group, significant differences were found based on the feeding method (breastfeeding was found to be better than formula, P <0.0001)., Conclusions: Breastfeeding improves newborn hearing screening results with TEOAE., Relevance for Patients: Lies in the fact that breastfed children respond better to the test and need to repeat it fewer times, avoiding problems such as loss to follow-up and additional work., (Copyright: © Whioce Publishing Pte. Ltd.)

Most hospitals recommend performing neonatal hearing screening. Transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) tests represent an ideal technique for conducting this process. Previous studies have related the influence of ABO blood group and Rhesus antigens (Rh) on the susceptibility to various pathologies. However, available data about the potential relationship between ABO blood groups, Rh, and TEOAE pass rates are sparse. Recently, several authors concluded that O blood group and Rh+ are possible influential factors of TEOAE pass rates. Significantly different TEOAE amplitude response between the four main ABO blood groups were observed among normal-hearing individuals. Moreover, ABO blood groups were discussed as a possible influential factor for the development of noise-induced hearing loss later in life. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between ABO blood groups, Rh, and the first TEOAE pass rates in healthy newborns. Data were retrospectively collected from healthy newborns at the maternity ward of F. Borja hospital in Gandia (Spain). Rh and ABO were compared with the results of TEOAE performed within the first 48 h of life. Results: the study group included 2765 newborns. No significant correlation between ABO blood group or Rh and TEOAE pass rates was observed in comparative tables. Conclusion: ABO blood group and Rhesus antigens do not appear to have a significant impact on the pass rate of TEOAE screening in healthy newborns., Competing Interests: Conflicts of InterestThe authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2019 by the authors.)

The present study reports epidemiological data on renal disorders in children in Venezuela. Information was obtained from 14 centers for the period January through December 1998. A total of 3,624 patients were evaluated as either a first outpatient consultation or as a first hospital admission. Nearly 70% of the patients could be grouped in one of the following categories: (1) urinary tract infections (32%), with detection of abnormalities of the urinary tract in 25%, (2) metabolic disorders (28%), mainly idiopathic hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria, (3) glomerulonephritis (9.5%). The other 30% corresponded to urolithiasis 7%; renal tubular acidosis 5.6%; nephrotic syndrome 4.5%; primary hematuria 4.2%; acute renal failure 2.8% (43% were secondary to acute dehydration, 15% to birth asphyxia, 14% to septicemia, and 23% to multiple factors); chronic renal failure 1.6% (secondary to glomerulopathies, predominantly focal glomerulosclerosis, structural abnormalities of the urinary tract, hereditary disorders, and renal hypoplasia/dysplasia); miscellaneous diseases 4.8%. Hence, the spectrum of renal disorders in Venezuela is wide, sharing similarities with countries of both the developed and developing world. These data will hopefully contribute to the development of national healthcare policies appropriate to the epidemiology of the country.