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

• Published in: Frontiers in pediatrics 2023-01, Vol.10, p.1068884-1068884
• Main Authors: Horrocks, Lucy M, Kitterick, Pádraig T, Jayasinghe, Dulip S, Willis, Karen R, Martin, Katherine R M, Dixit, Abhijit, Thornton, Sally K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: congenital anomalies; congenital hearing loss; developmental outcomes; neonatal intensive care; paediatrics; Pediatrics; unilateral hearing loss
• ISSN: 2296-2360; 2296-2360
• DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.1068884

To determine congenital and developmental outcomes of children with Unilateral Hearing Loss (UHL) who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 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. They were compared to matched control group who had a NICU admission but no hearing loss (matched on gestational age, weight and sex). The median birthweights, gestational ages and number of days spent on the NICU for the UHL population were 2510 g, 36 weeks, and 12 days respectively. Most children (20/25; 80%) with UHL a NICU admission were diagnosed with a congenital anomaly within the first two years of life. Only half (13/25) of these children were diagnosed with a congenital anomaly at discharge. Children with UHL a NICU admission were more likely than the matched group (NICU admission only;