The role of audiological assessments in the early detection of hearing loss in newborns

Can a ten-minute test in the first 48 hours of life reliably predict whether a baby will need hearing support? This research examined the diagnostic accuracy and clinical value of audiological screening protocols across 239 newborns in four maternity hospitals in Sydney, Australia. Infants were assessed between April 2020 and September 2023 using a two-stage protocol: transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) at birth followed by automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) for those who did not pass the initial screen. Of the 239 neonates, 83 were eventually confirmed to have permanent hearing loss of varying degrees. The TEOAE screen alone showed a sensitivity of 91.6% and specificity of 87.2%, while the combined TEOAE-AABR protocol raised sensitivity to 97.6% and specificity to 94.9%. Gestational age emerged as a significant predictor of initial screening outcomes, with very preterm infants (