Hearing screening in a neonatal intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the prevalence of hearing impairment in newborns hospitalized at the Intensive and Intermediate Care Unit at the Women's Comprehensive Health Center Neonatology Service (UNICAMP) and associated risk factors.METHODS: 979 newborn babies were assessed between January 2000 and January 2003, through automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) (ALGO 2e color screener). The result was considered normal when the newborn showed response to a 35dBNA signal bilaterally. The prevalence of AABR impairment and the odds ratio were analyzed with a 95% confidence interval using bivariate analysis. To identify the independent risk factors for hearing alterations, multivariate analyses were used with logistic regression.RESULTS: The prevalence of AABR impairment was 10.2%, of which 5.3% was unilateral and 4.9% bilateral. From the multivariate analyses, the following observations were made: family history of congenital hearing loss (OR = 5.192; p = 0.016), craniofacial deformity (OR = 5.530; p < 0.001), genetic syndromes associated with hearing loss (OR = 4.212; p < 0.001), weight below 1,000 g (OR = 3.230; p < 0.001), asphyxia (OR = 3.532; p < 0.001), hyperbilirubinemia (OR = 4.099; p = 0.002) and use of mechanical ventilation (OR = 1.826; p < 0.031) were the indicators that best characterized the group at risk for hearing impairment.CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hearing impairment using AABR is high. Therefore, it is essential for all newborns who present isolated or associated risk factors to undergo hearing screening in situations in which it is not possible to have universal hearing screening.

Avaliaçäo do processamento auditivo central em crianças com e sem antecedentes de otite média / Assessment of central auditory processing in children with and without history of otitis media

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a influência da otite média no desempenho de crianças com queixas relacionadas a alterações de processamento auditivo central. Forma do estudo: C1ínico prospectivo. Material e método: Para tanto, foram avaliados dois grupos de crianças, sendo o grupo I constituído por 10 crianças com ancecedentes de otite média recorrente e com queixas relacionadas a alterações do processamento auditivo central; e o grupo II, composto por 15 crianças com queixas relacionadas a alterações de processamento auditivo central e sem antecedentes de otite média recorrente. Resultados: Verifica-se não haver diferença estatisticamente significante entre o desempenho das crianças dos grupo I e II nos testes auditivos comportamentais de localização sonora, teste de memória para sons verbais e nao verbais em sequência, teste de fala com ruído branco, teste dicotico de dígitos, teste dicótico não verbal e teste PSI em Português