Epidemiology of deafness in newborns Of nicu and necessary rehabilitation

Abstract

Hearing loss in infants is a prevalent yet neglected problem, especially in developing countries like India. Hearing loss negatively impacts the speech and language development of the child and affects various aspects of life. It is estimated that 0.3 to 15 babies per 1000 experience permanent hearing loss. The babies in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have higher rates of hearing loss due to the presence of additional risk factors. Objectives: The study's main aim is to screen the NICU babies for hearing loss or deafness through a hospital-based Newborn hearing screening (NHS) program. The objectives of the study were to assess the incidence and associated risk factors of deafness in NICU babies and provide necessary rehabilitation to the children identified with hearing loss.