Audiological Monitoring of Infants with Risk Indicators for Hearing Loss

Abstract

To describe the results of an audiological monitoring program for infants with risk indicators for hearing loss and identify the profile of mothers of infants who participated in the program. Methods: Descriptive and cross-sectional study. Fifty-six records were collected of infants between 6 and 18 months with “pass” result in Newborn Hearing Screening and presence of risk factors for hearing loss. Parents/guardians answered two questionnaires: concerning the sociodemographic profile of mother; and infant’s motor, hearing and language development; and the following audiological monitoring procedures were performed: Behavioral Observation Audiometry, Visual Reinforcement Audiometry and Cochlear-eyelid Reflex research. Results: Of the 56 selected infants, only 22 (39.28%) participated in the audiological monitoring; with a mean age of 11.6 months, predominantly male, mixed ethnicity and more frequent risk indicators: ototoxic medication, permanence in intensive care unit for more than five days, hyperbilirubinemia and severe perinatal anoxia. All of the infants evaluated had adequate responses in the Behavioral Observation Audiometry and Cochlear-eyelid Reflex research; 19 (86.36%) infants had adequate results in the Visual Reinforcement Audiometry. Of the 22 mothers, all had their children in public hospital and 18 (81.8%) received no guidance on audiological monitoring before participating in this study. Conclusion: There was normal predominance in the auditory development of the infants assessed, predominance of young and housewife mothers, and high dropout rate, indicating a need for actions to promote information about the importance of monitoring the auditory development and strategies that facilitate access and adhesion to audiological monitoring.

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