The Impact of COVID-19 on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

Ear Hear. 2022 Nov-Dec;43(6):1917-1919. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001255. Epub 2022 Jul 14.

Abstract

Objectives: To report the direct and indirect impact of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program of our institution (Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Sassari).

Design: Monocentric retrospective study whose target population included all the newborns born in or referred to our hospital in 2019 and 2020.

Results: There is no statistically significant difference in time to retest or loss to follow-up rate between the 2 years considered (2019 to 2020). Referral rate is not higher for newborns born to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 polymerase chain reaction positive mothers.

Conclusions: In relation to the analyzed variables, coronavirus disease 2019 seems to have a limited impact on our screening program. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 did not behave as an audiological risk factor in our series.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Hearing
  • Hearing Tests*
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Neonatal Screening
  • Retrospective Studies