Study of hearing loss in infants using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions

AIM: The objective of the present study was to screen for hearing loss and to document the importance of using Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions as a screening tool for hearing loss. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The descriptive study was conducted during the period August 2012 to July 2014 in a tertiary care health center. A study group consisting of 500 infants were subjected to TEOAE at 24-72 hours after birth. For pass cases no further testing was done. For refer cases repeat TEOAE testing was done at 15-30days, failing which such infant was subjected to Brainstem Evoked Response testing within 3 months to confirm hearing loss. RESULT: Five hundred infants were screened by TEOAE's after 24 hours of birth. 29 infants had refer result for 1st TEOAE hearing screen and for these infants repeat TEOAE screen was done at 15-30 days of age. On repeat TEOAE testing, 1 infant gave refer result. Then 19 infants including 18 high risk babies and 1 well baby were subjected to BERA testing within 3 months. On testing with BERA only 5 infants showed hearing loss. Hence the prevalence of hearing loss of 2 per thousand was detected in well babies and 22.2 per hundred in high risk babies. Hence substantiating the need to develop a method for screening infants for hearing loss. CONCLUSION: Hence the use of Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions as initial screening test provides as easy, cost effective and quick method to detect infants with hearing loss.