Effectiveness of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening at a Government Tertiary Health Care Centre in Central India: A Retrospective Study.

Permanent severe to profound hearing impairment in children can have a lifelong negative impact on the development of biological functions, such as speech and language, literacy, mental health, social and cognitive functioning and socioeconomic opportunity. However, by implementing efficient early detection and intervention initiatives, the effects of hearing loss can be reversed. In span of 8 years (2016-2023) of universal newborn hearing screening at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (NSCB) medical college, Jabalpur, total of 28025 newborns have been screened in a two-step process including one subjective test: Behavioural Observation Audiometry (BOA) and one objective screening tests: Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE). Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) is used for conformation of hearing loss. 4806 newborns were under referred category and 350 newborns have been identified with hearing loss. The disease prevalence was 7.28% among the newborns under referred category. The sensitivity of screening test is 100% and specificity of 95.02% and accuracy of >95%. This paper presents a practical, affordable and accurate two-step process for early detection and treatment of hearing loss, highlighting the importance of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and urging public health-care policymakers to implement this protocol nationwide.