18th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 3-5, 2019 • Chicago, IL
Evaluation of Unilateral Hearing Screening Failures
Today, newborn hearing screening (NBHS) is widely accepted and its benefits have been recognized worldwide. However, despite the recommendations by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (2007) that screening include the identification of unilateral as well as bilateral hearing loss, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that it is not unusual for more concern to be placed on bilateral hearing screening failures than unilateral failures. Given our current understanding of the psychoeducational risks associated with unilateral hearing loss in children, it was of interest to investigate these unilateral failures to determine the likelihood of permanent hearing loss in one ear and the likelihood of permanent bilateral hearing loss within one year of the screening.
The research questions were:
1. What percentage of babies who fail a screening in one ear obtain a diagnosis of permanent unilateral hearing loss within one year?
2. What percentage of babies who fail a screening in one ear obtain a diagnosis of permanent bilateral hearing loss within one year?
3. Of those diagnosed with permanent hearing loss, what are the etiologies?
Methods: Babies were screened utilizing the ALGO automated auditory brainstem response (A-ABR) system and were conducted by graduate students or technicians trained in the use of the equipment by Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) newborn hearing screening coordinator, a licensed and certified audiologist. VUMC has a level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and admits approximately 1,300 newborns annually and the well-baby nursery admits approximately 4,500 newborns annually. Hearing screening and diagnostic data were retrieved retrospectively from a REDCap data repository from 2015 to 2017, encompassing approximately 8,000 screenings.
Results: At the time of this writing, 34% of the screening failures were unilateral and approximately 8% of those babies were later diagnosed with permanent bilateral hearing loss.
- Attendees will be able to list 3 risk factors for unilateral hearing loss
- Attendees will be able to list 2 risk factors for progressive hearing loss in children
- Attendees will be able to identify appropriate follow-up protocols for newborns who fail a NBHS unilaterally
Poster:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.
Presenter: Emily Thompson
Emily Thompson is currently a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Vanderbilt University's Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, who pursued a specialty concentration in early identification and management of children with hearing loss while earning her Au.D. (May 2019 VUSM program graduate). Dr. Thompson previously graduated from the University of Connecticut (Honors Program) with a B.A. in Psychology and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. In addition to serving as a LEND Program trainee, she recently completed an NIH-funded T35 Research Traineeship with Vanderbilt faculty mentor Dr. Anne Marie Tharpe. Dr. Thompson’s primary research interests encompass pediatric amplification and aural rehabilitation, with a clinical focus on exploring communication/psychosocial impacts of childhood hearing loss. She has spent over two years conducting newborn hearing screenings as a student technician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and has also participated in multiple different pediatric audiology research projects from August 2015 onward.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Alison Kemph, AuD is the Associate Director of Inpatient Pediatric Audiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. She manages a newborn hearing screening program that provides screenings for over 4900 infants in the newborn nursery and neonatal intensive care units (NICU) annually.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Adrienne Roman is a post-doctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Hayden Engstrom recently earned her Au.D. from Vanderbilt University in May 2018. She completed her fourth year externship at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in affiliation with the Medical College of Wisconsin, with a focus in cochlear implants. Her primary interest is in pediatric audiology, particularly the areas of early intervention and cochlear implants. She spent over two years conducting newborn hearing screenings as a student technician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and has participated in several newborn hearing screening research projects.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Alyssa Fosnight is currently a clinical audiologist employed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, specializing in pediatrics. In May 2017 she graduated with her Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree from Vanderbilt School of Medicine.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Dr. Tharpe is Professor and Chair, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville Tennessee. The primary research emphasis in her laboratory has been in furthering our understanding of the developmental impact of hearing loss on young children. This work has been done by examining questions of behavioral indices of attention, environmental exploration, and academic outcomes. Her recent work has focused on the impact of hearing technology interventions on caregiver and child behavior and the sleep patterns in those with hearing loss. Dr. Tharpe has published extensively in national and international professional journals, has published numerous books and book chapters, and has presented to over 300 audiences around the world on pediatric audiology issues. She is co-editor with Dr. Richard Seewald of The Comprehensive Handbook of Pediatric Audiology, 2nd edition, which was published in 2016.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Consulting fee for Membership on advisory committee or review panels from Phonak AG.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.