To Study the Prevalence of Hearing Impairment in a Population of at Risk and Not at Risk Infants Born at a Tertiary Level Hospital in Kashmir

Owais Makhdoomi, Yasir Abbas Khan, Huzaifa Makhdoomi

Abstract: Introduction: The purpose of our study was to find the prevalence of hearing impairment in a population of at risk and not at risk infants born in tertiary care hospitals of Kashmir. Methodology: This prospective study took place in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery at Govt. Medical College, Srinagar, J&K. Subjects included neonates born and admitted in LD hospital Srinagar and GB Pant Hospital tertiary care centers. Thus a total of 1800 neonates were recruited for the study with prior informed verbal consent obtained from the parents. These patients were screened using otoaccoustic emissions during first week and followed up accordingly and then evaluated further using BERA. Conclusion: Our study showed that early identification of newborn infants for hearing impairment can help in early rehabilitation.

Keywords: BERA, Hearing Loss, NICU