Neonatal Markers of Prematurity as Predictors of Permanent Childhood Hearing Loss and Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Children Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Need for admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) confers an increased risk of hearing loss in the newborn and of later neurodevelopmental impairment. In this retrospective longitudinal case-controlled study, we assess how the degree of prematurity, measured via gestational age, birth weight, and z-scores, in 138 infants admitted to the NICU are associated with permanent childhood hearing loss (PCHI) and 2-year developmental outcomes. Logistic regression analyses, Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance, and Chi-squared tests were used.

UK and US risk factors for hearing loss in neonatal intensive care unit infants.

Importance: Early detection and intervention of hearing loss may mitigate negative effects on children's development. Children who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) as babies are particularly susceptible to hearing loss and risk factors are vital for surveillance.

Design, Setting And Participants: This single-centre retrospective cohort study included data from 142 inborn infants who had been admitted to the NICU in a tertiary regional referral centre.

Characterisation of the treatment provided for children with unilateral hearing loss.

Background: Children with permanent unilateral hearing loss (UHL) are an understudied population, with limited data to inform the guidelines on clinical management. There is a funding gap in healthcare provision for the children with UHL in the United Kingdom, where genetic screening, support services, and devices are not consistently provided or fully funded in all areas. They are a disparate population with regard to aetiology and their degree of hearing loss, and hence their device choice and use.

Multiple congenital anomalies and adverse developmental outcomes are associated with neonatal intensive care admission and unilateral hearing loss.

Aim: To determine congenital and developmental outcomes of children with Unilateral Hearing Loss (UHL) who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Method: Retrospective, single-site study that followed 25 children with permanent congenital UHL a NICU admission to a NICU of Nottingham University Hospital. Birth and two-year developmental follow-up data were collected.