A retrospective study on hearing outcomes of infants of COVID-19 mothers pre-vaccination era

Authors

  • Shenbagavalli S Associate Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Social Obstetric and Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1033-0099
  • Ashok Kumar Subramaniyam Assistant Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Social Obstetric and Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5583-9183
  • Yuvaraj Radhakrishnan Assistant Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Social Obstetric and Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8089-2453
  • Thalapathy Ramkumar Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Social Obstetric and Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5525-7487
  • Venkatesan R Audiologist, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Social Obstetric and Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5096-2325
  • Manisha T Postgraduate Resident, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Institute of Social Obstetric and Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital, Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2725-8030

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v15i7.62851

Keywords:

Otoacoustic emission (OAE), Auditory brainstem response (ABR), Transmission evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE)

Abstract

Background: A COVID-19 infection can result in a variety of symptoms. Findings must be carefully reviewed because there is still a dispute over the potential involvement of the audiovestibular system. Moreover, there is debate over the intrauterine transfer of COVID-19 infection from mother to fetus in pregnant people. There are not many investigations on the audiovestibular symptomatology of infants exposed to COVID-19 during pregnancy.

Aims and Objectives: This study looks at any potential links between the COVID-19 gestational infection and the start of hearing impairment in babies. The verification of hearing’s engagement in COVID-19 allows for the planning of the time and methods for children’s audiological evaluations.

Materials and Methods: Newborns had audiological examination and screening for hearing loss. The automatic transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) test is used to evaluate newborns for hearing impairments before they are released from the hospital. By employing the COVID-19 case history, otoscopy, acoustic immittance test, transient evoked OAEs test, and mother, pregnancy, and perinatal case histories, an audiological examination is conducted on children under 3 months of age, with 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months of age follow-up.

Results: The research comprised 100 children. Of these infants, 90% were part of the neonatal hearing screening initiative. Due to isolation protocols, the remaining 10 neonates did not undergo hearing screening; instead, a direct audiological examination was performed on them. Out of the 90 newborns that were tested, only 11 had a bilateral REFER test result, but the audiological examination revealed a normal hearing threshold.

Conclusion: There is no data in this study that a mother’s COVID-19 infection results in hearing loss in newborn.

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Published

2024-07-01

How to Cite

Shenbagavalli S, Ashok Kumar Subramaniyam, Yuvaraj Radhakrishnan, Thalapathy Ramkumar, Venkatesan R, & Manisha T. (2024). A retrospective study on hearing outcomes of infants of COVID-19 mothers pre-vaccination era. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 15(7), 3–7. https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v15i7.62851

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 7 (2024)

Section

Original Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences

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