Influence of low Apgar on the first hearing screening of the neonate

Abstract

Introduction: There are several risk indicators for hearing loss. The Apgar score, when less than four in the first minute and/or less than six in the fifth minute of life, is considered an indicator of risk for hearing loss. Such values are associated with the occurrence of asphyxia, which is one of the most common causes of cell death and injury and, therefore, some damage to the auditory system may occur. Objective: To check the influence of risk indicator for hearing loss, low Apgar, in the first neonatal hearing evaluation. Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in a public hospital from January 2012 to December 2016. The neonates underwent hearing evaluation by examining transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE). The relation between low Apgar and “refer” in the TEOAE was analyzed by simple logistic regression. Results: A total of 6,301 newborns were evaluated, of which 15.82% (n=996) had risk indicators for hearing loss and 6.57% (n=415) had with low Apgar. 6.5% (n=415) of the neonates screened showed failure of the EOE-t test, uni or bilateral. Others risk indicators increased the chances of “refer”; however, the presence of low Apgar alone increased the chances of “refer” in the TEOAE in newborns with birth weight greater than 1,500 g (OR: 1.58; p=0.02) and without peri-intraventricular hemorrhage (OR: 1.56; p=0.01). Conclusion: The low Apgar score was the mainly cause of “refer” on the first hearing evaluation among neonates with with birth weight greater than 1,500 g and without peri-intraventricular hemorrhage.